Kopa's Legacy — Book V: The Eye of the Tempest
by Incarnate Firefly
Summary: Kopa faces an uncertain future as the advent of the final battle is set in motion. With the Keepers set on annihilating them, it is clear that the two prides are marked for death in a war they cannot win. But there is a chance, one chance, for Kopa to defeat his enemies and spare the rest from their bloody fate, and the secret lies within Mount Tempest...
1. Prologue

**[Author's Note]**  
Well, the day has finally come. I'll try to keep this note short since I'm presuming that you're all very excited to get started on reading this story (and if you're not, don't tell me or you'll puncture my ego XD). Firstly, my hat's off to each and every one of you for sticking by me throughout this entire series to the end. I know I've said it many times in my past author's notes, but the sheer amount of support and enthusiasm you've all shown me is unbelievable, and sometimes when I'm at my least motivated in writing, you guys are all that keeps me going. So thank you. By my predictions, _Kopa's Legacy_ will be concluded somewhere between late July or early August, and for those of you who remember, I started planning this series last August and posted the story in early September 2012. It has been such an incredible experience for me to write out Kopa's story as it came to life in my mind, and to have so many of you taking the voyage with me has truly been an honour.

Now, before I get too sentimental, I guess I'll move onto my next, more matter-of-fact announcements. Firstly, I've drawn the numbers of the three authors who have won my little character-submitting contest and informed each of them privately of their win. I'll post them publicly here though, so you'll know who to look for and which authors they belong to.

-Minor character winner 1: Reviewer #93 (Haradion); submitted character: Bane (Wild dog)  
-Minor character winner 2: Reviewer #68 (Bookworm Gal); submitted character: Shani (Meerkat)  
-Major character winner: Reviewer #106 (SunsetWanderer); submitted character: Maji (Black leopard)

Congratulations again, I know you'll be keeping your eyes peeled for those three in particular. And I hope I can do your characters justice, but feel free to chew me out if I don't :P

Last order of business. If you're reading this story, I assume you already know how this is going to work. I'm going to post chapters at regular intervals, with the publish date of the next chapter posted at the bottom of each page. I will start by posting each chapter every 5 days, and for each checkpoint, I'll bump up the speed at which I post chapters. Now, since book 5 is going to have a whopping total of 18 chapters instead of the usual 10, I'm going to be upping each checkpoint substantially to make sure I don't end up posting more quickly than I can write before I'm even halfway through the story. Sounds fair, right?

-30 reviews: New chapter will be added every 4 days  
-65 reviews: New chapter will be added every 3 days  
-105 reviews: New chapter will be added every 2 days  
-150 reviews: New chapter will be added every day  
-200 reviews: The rest of the story will be posted immediately

This author's note has turned out longer than I expected, so without further ado, I now present you with the fifth and final instalment of _Kopa's Legacy_. Enjoy the show!

* * *

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·**  
The rain stormed down relentlessly in a heavy deluge that immersed the air with swift, thick sheets of downpour. It was now very late into the night and the storm's intensity was drowning out any noise that had been present before, showing no sign of letting up. Although the plains were usually filled with life, even the hardiest creatures had wisely chosen to seek shelter rather than brave the storm; there was no telling how long it would last. Not a single star was visible tonight, making it difficult to see very far in any direction. It was as if the Earth had been encompassed by some dark, overbearing presence.

A fork of lightning blazed brilliantly across the sky, illuminating the dark, massive clouds hanging over the land for a brief moment. A lone male lion, staring into the night under the merciful cover of a short cave set into a kopje, winced and turned away at the sudden flash.

"Decided to volunteer for sentry duty, hm?" came a deep voice from behind him.

The lion turned around, fixing his viridian green eyes on the old lion who had approached him. "I...guess I just can't sleep," he replied, half-apologetically. There were a number of other lions with them in the cave, and they had agreed how important it was to be properly rested so that they could move quickly at any given time. And that was something he out of all of them was supposed to be doing.

That was clearly what the other lion was thinking as well, for he said, "You don't think Janga is going to find us in this weather, do you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," the younger lion replied wearily. "But that's not what's keeping me up, Mega." Although he wasn't too far into his adulthood, the tension etched into his face made him look like someone much older.

Mega's face creased with sympathy. "Mheetu, I know these last few days haven't been easy for you. And I know things look bad right now. But we've almost made it out of this crater, and if your friends are as trustworthy as you say, then they'll get us past the Keepers soon. Who knows, maybe Ni and the others have already made it to the Pridelands and are waiting for us."

Mheetu remained silent, his expression etched with uneasiness. When he didn't reply, Mega added, somewhat hesitantly, "If you want, we can get everyone moving before dawn. If we head out in the storm, we might get lucky and slip past the Keepers."

"No," Mheetu said, shaking his head. "Some of the others are still recovering. We can't force them to move until they're ready."

The older lion was quiet again, though this time it was not contemplation, but something like reluctance. "If you want...you can go on ahead. I'll stay with the others and we'll find some way to catch up."

"I can't do that," Mheetu protested.

"Mheetu," Mega said firmly. "It's you they're after. As long as you're here, you're in danger. It's imperative that you get to safety, even if we don't. We'll be fine, and maybe it's better that we don't slow you down—"

"No." Mheetu's reply was flat and unwavering. "You all put yourselves at risk for me. Protected me, even though you knew the Keepers would make you all pay for it. I'm not leaving any of you behind, because I owe you that much. Either we all go, or we don't go at all."

Mega stared into his eyes silently. Every time he saw those eyes, he thought he could see Sarafina staring back at him. And he remembered the way she looked when she had made up her mind on something; it was the same way Mheetu looked now. The old lion couldn't help but smile at the resemblance. "You're very loyal, Mheetu. Thank you." He turned away and headed deeper into the cave to get some rest.

Mheetu turned back to face the cave mouth as thunder rolled across the sky. It had been a while since he'd had time to think about everything that had happened. Almost an entire moon cycle had passed since this had all started, and yet he felt as if it had all happened so quickly.

_Too quickly. Janga, how did it come to this?_ he thought dejectedly. _Why didn't you believe me? I thought you trusted me. I thought..._

_I thought you loved me._

He quickly shut his mind to the thought. He couldn't reflect on it, because it would hurt too much if he did. Why it happened or what could have been was out of his control now. Instead, he focused on what was real, what he could still do right. _We'll find the mountains once we're out of the crater. And then we'll reach the Pridelands._ It would be a long journey, but he would willingly take the distance if it meant that they would be safe from the creatures that were hunting them.

_Mom. Nala. I hope you're both well. I'm alive. And I'll be home soon._

···

Every morning Sarafina woke up, she felt strange at how small the numbers of the pride were. Maybe it was because she had spent more than half her life at Pride Rock, but it was almost unnerving to come back and see her home almost completely deserted, and the numerous lions that once roamed the land were now mostly absent.

A few days ago she had returned with a few lions too wounded to do anything more exerting than walking, and met up with the Pridelanders' few elder lions that had stayed behind. And now they had nothing to do but wait. At least until enough of them were well enough to recover and head back for Mount Tempest.

Rafiki had been dropping in every morning to check on the injured. Not for the first time, Sarafina was grateful for his knowledge of healing. Already, many of the others were looking in better shape and were walking around as if they had never been hurt. Still, the mandrill had advised them to take it easy for a little longer, until their wounds were fully healed. No one questioned the suggestion.

Sarafina often inspected the pride members to make sure they were alright. And even though both she and Rafiki knew that she wasn't really being much help, he said nothing about it, because he knew that it kept her mind off other things. Because whenever she found herself sitting around with nothing to do, she began to worry. _How are the others doing at Mount Tempest? Have they taken it back? Have they defeated Janga? Or has she won and is on her way back right now?_

It was always a possibility, though not one that Sarafina liked at all. Why wasn't she taking precautions, doing something to make sure that the lions she was in charge of weren't also in danger of being killed? But what can I do? Was it because she refused to entertain the notion that all was lost, that Simba and her beloved Nala were dead?

Sarafina gritted her teeth, trying to block out the terrible thought. How did it all come to this? Her best friend Sarabi was dead, rumoured to have been killed by Janga herself. Now the rest of the Pridelanders' royal family was in danger; not only Simba and Nala, or Kovu, Kiara, and Vitani who had put themselves at just as much risk, but also Simba and Nala's long-lost son Kopa, who had actually been alive all this time. There was no telling what was happening to them right now. _Janga, what could have possibly driven you to bring war to your own family?_

Sarafina still remembered the angry, confused young lioness that had left the Pridelands so long ago, but she never would have dreamed that she would do any of the things she did now. _How is it that Scar has damaged her so badly that she's turned against everyone she once cared about?_

"Sarafina! Oh, this is bad! Sarafina, you've gotta do something!"

Sarafina gave a start at the sound of the panicked voice as the other lions awoke with a start. She turned to look out the cave and saw a frantic Timon on Pumbaa's back, the warthog dashing towards her with all haste. She got to her paws immediately. "Timon, what's wrong?"

"We've got a big problem!" the meerkat screeched, his eyes wide with fear. "What do we do? We can't hide, they're coming right this way! We've gotta run! Come on, we have to get outta here!"

"What's this about?" she asked sharply. She never doubted Timon's word, but the meerkat was sometimes bad at getting to the point.

Pumbaa, thankfully, took the initiative. "There's a group of lions, heading this way, Sarafina! And they're not ours!"

"Lions?" she repeated, instantly alert. "How many?"

"I dunno," he admitted nervously, his brow tense as he thought hard to what he saw. "Must be at least twelve...could be more..."

_This isn't good,_ Sarafina thought. There were only nine lions including herself present at Pride Rock, and they were either recovering from their wounds or were too old to put up a good fight. Rafiki couldn't do much against lions either, nor could Timon or Pumbaa. And she had no doubt as to these lions' intentions, if they were here like this. _Is this it? Has Janga finally broken through to the Pridelands?_

"Sarafina?" one of the lionesses said anxiously. "What are we going to do?"

Sarafina settled her racing mind with some difficulty, and didn't waste further time pondering. If things had gone bad at Mount Tempest, then there was only one thing she could do. "Let's get moving. Now."

* * *

**[Original Character Names]  
Janga:** Disaster

**[Canon Character Names]  
Mega:** Broken off  
**Mheetu:** Me too (Africanization)  
**Ni:** I am  
**Sarafina:** Fiery (Latin)  
**Nala:** Prosperity  
**Rafiki:** Friend  
**Sarabi:** Mirage  
**Kovu:** Scar  
**Kiara:** Clear (Latin)  
**Vitani:** Demon of war (...ducks...?)  
**Kopa:** Heart  
**Scar:** Scar (English)  
**Timon:** Respect (Greek)  
**Pumbaa:** Foolish


	2. Old Friend, New Allies

"_His crown lit up the way as we moved slowly,  
Past the wandering eyes of the ones that were left behind  
Though far away, though far away, though far away,  
We're still the same, we're still the same, we're still the same._

_Howling ghosts, they reappear,  
In mountains that are stacked with fear  
But you're a king and I'm a lionheart  
And in the sea that's painted black,  
Creatures lurk below the dark  
But you're a king and I'm a lionheart._

_And as the world comes to an end,  
I'll be here to hold your hand  
'Cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart._"

—Of Monsters and Men

* * *

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·**  
Kopa stood in the dampened grass silently, head bowed. The Serengeti plains, were usually bright and sunny at the current time of day, were as gloomy as the dark clouds hanging heavily in the sky after the storm had passed. A cold wind swept over the land, blowing his nearly-full mane in his face, but his dark crimson eyes were fixed unresponsively on the ground.

Lying before him was the body of his friend Mateka, whose still-intact remains seemed to be almost flawless, save for the ghastly wounds on her abdomen from where trails of dried blood had stained her gentle tan-coloured fur. Her eyes were closed, and there was just a trace of pain visible in her otherwise placid expression, a touch of tension that hadn't quite left her brow.

There was a rustling in the grass behind Kopa. He didn't turn his head as Afua approached him, followed by Simba, Babu, and Boga. None of them said a word, their eyes all fixed on the deceased young lioness lying in the grass. The other lions with them quickly noticed the group gathering around Mateka's corpse and quickly hurried over. Kula appeared beside Simba, along with her mate Chumvi.

"So you've found her, Kopa?"

Kopa finally looked over his shoulder at the sound of Vitani's voice. She made her way through the group slowly before stopping next to him. Like everyone else, her eyes were peered down at Mateka, their brilliant blue tainted by bitterness.

"We should bring her back to Mount Tempest," said Afua quietly. "It wouldn't seem right to leave her for the vultures."

Kopa emitted a distressed shuddering sound at the thought of letting the vicious scavengers pecking away at what was left of his friend. Afua glanced at him, but neither of them said anything. Vitani let out a long exhale and closed her eyes, turning her head away so she wouldn't have to look at Mateka anymore.

Kopa hadn't asked for any of them to come. In fact, felt as if he should have looked for her alone. _After all, I had been alone when I...I abandoned her_. But Vitani had pointed out that it would be easier to find where she was by going in a group, and the others all wanted to pay their respects. He couldn't work up the energy to refuse them.

Rainwater was still flecked in Mateka's fur, and it was as if she was shining despite the dullness that surrounded her and hung in the air. The day after she had died, Kopa found himself gripped with a fear that he would find her eaten away by insects and vultures, and had wanted immediately to run out and find her. But by then, it became obvious that the storm was about to reach them, and Simba had told him to wait until the next day. And even though Kopa would have left to find her despite knowing how irrational it was, he relented and did as his father said.

_No more running off,_ he thought, placing Mateka's cold paw over his own. _No more disobedience, no more animosity, no more letting anyone get hurt because of me_. That was his promise, to himself, to his family, and to Mateka. He owed it to her because in the final moments of her life, she had come for him. When he had lashed out at one of his friends for the last time and ran off in a fury, she had followed. And even when it was too late for her, she had told him to save himself. If he didn't start fixing things now, then he wouldn't deserve the chance that she had given him.

Kula and Chumvi picked up Mateka and gently carried her off. The others followed one by one, heading back to Mount Tempest.

"So this is where it happened," Vitani murmured, still standing beside Kopa. He nodded, unable to speak because of the tightness that suddenly formed in his throat. He remembered the rush of terror as Jeraha had leaped out of the grass. The dreadful sound of his claws stabbing into Mateka's abdomen. The way she curled up in agony as she lay dying beside him in the grass. And her last words still echoed in his ears. _Run...do it for me._

"We'll keep her in the caves," Vitani said dully. "We can ask Malka to arrange the passing ceremony, or we can keep her safe in Mount Tempest...until..."

_Until it's over,_ Kopa realized. _Until Janga is stopped, and we have time to reflect on everything that's happened. And everything...everyone we've lost_. "What am I going to tell her parents?" he whispered, afraid to speak up because it could send forth the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Tell them that she died bravely to protect you," came Simba's voice from beside him. Kopa turned his head, not realizing that his father was still there.

But that wasn't what was eating away at him. _How can I expect them to forgive me? I don't even know if I can forgive myself_. Kopa opened his mouth, trying to ask the question. Instead, he gave a broken cough that quickly turned into a sob. He let his head fall, and the tears fell from his eyes, dripping into the grass like the rainwater that still clung to it. He felt Simba's face press against his, but the comforting feeling only seemed to mock him. He fought the temptation to crumple right then and there; Mateka's scent still hung in the air, polluted by the faint, sickening scent of blood.

And then he raised his head again, sniffing and wiping the tears from his face. He looked away from the place where she had died, and instead fixed his eyes onto Afua's retreating form, disappearing into the grass with Kula and Chumvi.

_One more promise_. There would be no more self-pity, spending night after night angsting over every friend he had lost. He would not allow it to destroy him again, if he was to keep the rest of them safe.

First he would make sure everything he had done wrong would be set right. And then, only then, he would allow himself closure.

···

It had been many days now since Nala had left Mount Tempest and set out across the plains with several other lions, many of whom were her old friends. Among them was Ni, an aging but nimble lion whom she hadn't seen ever since she was a cub. He was the king of a pride that had been strewn out all over the Serengeti by Janga. Among them had been Mheetu, Nala's younger brother who had been missing ever since Scar had driven him out of the Pridelands many years ago.

With so much that had happened in the last few days, Nala had no time to worry about anything but keeping the pride safe and figuring out exactly what Janga was up to. Now that Kopa was safe and Janga herself had disappeared, Nala knew what she was to do as soon as she had learned that Mheetu was indeed alive and well. _At least, I hope he's well. And still alive..._

She realized with a jolt that Sarafina probably didn't even know that Mheetu was somewhere out there and that Nala could quite possibly find him very soon. She wondered how her mother was doing, since she had to be at Pride Rock now. _Is she coming back to Mount Tempest? Someone will tell her why I've gone. But will she wait for me to return, or try and come after us?_

As much as Nala knew that Sarafina would want to see her son, she hoped that the case would be the former. There was no telling what was lurking out here beyond the mountain range, and Ni himself had warned everyone that they would soon have to move quickly and quietly, and avoid leaving a trail that could be easily found.

"We're approaching the Keepers' territory," he had murmured quietly. "Stay alert for their patrols."

Nala noticed the look that passed between Sabini and Leo, though she saw Tama's look of confusion mirror her own.

"'The Keepers'?" Nala asked inquisitively.

"Their full title is 'The Keepers Beyond the Pridelands'," Ni explained. "They're a group of animals that used to reside in the Pridelands during the reign of King Mufasa. After Scar usurped the throne, a large number of them left in groups as the land was seized by a drought. They were convinced that the transformation in the Pridelands were Scar's doing and that he was a curse to the animal kingdoms. So they established a group surrounding the mountains and set a firm border around the Serengeti."

"These days they're very powerful, though why they're allied with Janga is beyond me," added Tojo.

Nala remembered how the Pridelands had withered and died as she had grown up. No one had been able to explain the decaying conditions, and Scar adamantly refused to accept Rafiki's explanation that the Great Kings were angered by his ascension to the throne. And how one by one, the animals that had once roamed the Pridelands freely had disappeared. Even after Simba had finally overthrown Scar, not all of them had returned...

"Ni," she said, suddenly realizing something. "You never told me how you found my brother. Was he a part of your pride?"

Ni shook his head. "If Mheetu had the luxury to settle down in a pride, I think the first thing he would have done would be to return to the Pridelands. No, he was in trouble with the Keepers when we found him, on the run when Tojo and my friend Mega had found him..."

"Mega," murmured Nala.

"You know him?" Ni asked. She nodded. "Then I guess it's best to start from the beginning. I can only tell you what Mheetu himself has told me, so I might be missing parts of the story. You see, Nala, your brother was actually once part of the Keepers. I think it all started one night when he was out with their patrols, and you can guess who he came across..."

···

**·YEAR 3 OF SCAR'S REIGN, MONTH 9 [4 YEARS AGO]·**  
"_Keep going," Janga gasped, though her words were difficult to make out due to her ragged breathing._

_Jeraha and Kivuli understood perfectly, however. And even though their adolescence gave them slightly stronger builds and longer legs, Janga managed to keep pace with them. For someone who was still growing into her adolescence, she could run impressively fast, because anything less would mean death._

_It had been several moon cycles since the three of them had escaped the Pridelands. Though none of them were familiar with the territory that they were running through, the hunting became more plentiful where the drought was weaker, and they were able to keep themselves strong. And Janga was no longer a cub, but she was the youngest and still the most vulnerable._

_And unexpectedly, just when the three of them had thought they were safe after a long period of solitude, they had been found by a pack of hyenas, and were now on the run once again. Janga didn't pause to consider whether they were Scar's or simply rogues. It didn't make a difference, they were just as ravenous as the rest of their kind and she had intended to escape them either way._

_It had been a long chase across the plains and into a dense forest, but as the trees became thicker, they had finally managed to give the hyenas the slip. Janga began to feel exhaustion tugging at her, and knew that whether she liked to or not, they had to stop soon. Nonetheless, she wanted to put as much distance between them and the hyenas as she safely could. She had no idea where they were, other than that they were running through a forest and she had no idea how long it stretched._

"_I think they're gone," panted Jeraha, the first to slow down. Seeing this, Kivuli did so as well, and Janga followed suit, shooting the two of them an irritated look but taking the opportunity to catch her much-needed breath._

"_We shouldn't stay here for the night," she said firmly. "The hyenas might still be after us, and they'll be able to catch our scent here."_

"_Janga, we can't keep doing this," said Kivuli suddenly, looking up and locking her silver eyes on Janga's. Her voice was steady, but her chest was heaving as well with exhaustion._

"_Can't keep doing what?"_

"_Running. You said you wanted to return one day and defeat Scar. But you can't do it on your own. Or even with just the three of us. We need someone to help us."_

"_Who do you have in mind?" Janga snapped, her nerves still rather frayed after the long chase. Her irritation wasn't particularly directed at Kivuli; she knew that her friend was right. But she also knew that they had no one to help them out here, when they were so far from home. Wishing for help was useless._

_Kivuli didn't reply, and Janga turned away, fighting the urge to keel over to regain her breath. If she showed any sign of weariness, her friends would insist on staying here until she was ready to go. And that wasn't an option right now. Her paws trembled as she struggled to remain standing up. She hated that she was capable of so much but was so physically limited. _If only I was older, I could've killed Scar, _she thought angrily_. He doesn't deserve to be the king. He doesn't...

"_Janga!" Jeraha shouted in an alarmed voice. He and Kivuli dashed over as Janga's paws collapsed underneath her and she crumpled to the ground. She was still conscious; her eyes were open, but now that the adrenaline had worn off, she was clearly too drained of energy to move._

"_She's alright," Kivuli said to him. Then she turned her attention to Janga. "If you say it's not safe here, then we trust you. We can carry you if you want to keep moving."_

_Janga nodded reluctantly, still too tired to move. She had grown very quickly in a short period of time, and was now much stronger and heavier. But it was no problem for Jeraha to lift her and put her onto his back. They were about to move when Janga made an unintelligible growling sound._

"_What is it?" he asked, noticing her disquiet. Kivuli's eyes swept the forest, watching for signs of trouble._

_And then he realized that the forest had fallen dead silent. He looked around, trying to make out something out of place among the trees. In the blink of an eye, they were surrounded. It took a moment for the three young lions to make out the shapes among the darkened forest. They were leopards, each as black as the night itself, barely visible save for the glimmer of their eyes against in the moonlight. The only other part of their bodies that stood out was the glint on their fangs, all bared maliciously with clear intent._

_Janga's pulse raced at the sight of the creatures. She knew immediately that her and her friends were easily outnumbered and outmatched without needing to count the leopards' exact numbers. Her mind screamed at her to get up, but she just couldn't summon the strength to do it. As the leopards closed in, Jeraha and Kivuli exchanged glances. They were out of ideas._

"_What are you doing here?" asked one of them challengingly, stepping forward from the ring of leopards. His azure-blue eyes were fixed on Janga, who was still sprawled across Jeraha's back. She was surprised that he was taking the time to talk rather than attack, but didn't question the reason they weren't dead yet._

"_We're from the Pridelands," she explained, hoping that this fact would allow the leopards to let them go free._

_However, it had the exact opposite effect. She noticed the subtle increase of tension among the leopards, and the leader did not seem to be appeased._

"_The Pridelands?" he snarled. "So you were sent by the tyrant Scar?"_

"_No!" Janga said quickly, struggling to slide off Jeraha's back and stand on her own. She noticed the leopards' eyes following her as she slipped onto the ground and pulled herself up with some difficulty. "We're outcasts, we had to escape because Scar tried to kill us." She decided that it would be wise to leave out the fact that she was his daughter. They were on shaky ground as it was._

_This seemed to surprise the blue-eyed leopard. "Outcasts?" he murmured, though he still regarded the young lions with wariness. "We have not seen any lions cast out from the Pridelands, not since—"_

_The circle of leopards parted slightly as someone emerged from the shadows in the trees. It was a young male lion, with scruffy tawny fur and the beginnings of a light brown mane growing between his eyes. He looked like he had just entered adolescence, around the same age as Janga, and as soon as his bright green eyes swept over hers, she knew who he was._

"_Mheetu," she whispered, remembering the mischievous young cub in the Pridelands who Nala had always been so fiercely protective of. After Scar had exiled him, she had assumed he was dead._

_Mheetu moved his gaze from Janga to Kivuli, Jeraha, and then the blue-eyed leopard. "Who are they, __Topazi__?" he asked, clearly having not heard Janga utter his name._

"_They're outcasts from the Pridelands," the leader said without looking away from Janga. "At least, that's what they've told me."_

_Mheetu looked over the three young lions more carefully, this time his eyes lingering on Janga. His brow tightened in concentration as he tried to remember something. He looked her up and down, studying her face closely. Then his eyes widened. "...Janga?"_

_She nodded slowly. Then the meaning of her confirmation seemed to have sunk in for him, and he remembered who she was. He turned his head, looking around at all the leopards, and for a heartbeat, Janga wondered if he was going to reveal to them who she was. She had to find some way to warn him surreptitiously, because if Topazi and his followers learned that Scar was her father, then she and her friends were as good as dead—_

"_We'd better head back," Mheetu said to the leopard leader, his voice filled with concern rather than suspicion. "We'll bring them with us. __Zamaradi_ _will understand, and she'll be interested to hear news from the Pridelands."_

_Topazi nodded coolly. "If they are your friends, Mheetu, then they are ours as well." His demeanour eased immediately, and he turned his back on Janga and her friends nonchalantly. He walked out of the circle of leopards, and they followed wordlessly, disappearing one by one into the dark of the forest._

_Mheetu looked back at Janga again, still seemingly unfazed by his knowledge of who she was. He approached her, his stance nonthreatening. "Hey, are you guys alright?"_

_She nodded, surprised by how easily Topazi had called off his leopards at the word of a young adolescent lion. "Who are they?"_

"_They're friends of mine," he said, gesturing with his head for her, Jeraha, and Kivuli to follow him. "It's a long story, but I'll explain everything once we're back at our camp."_

_Janga was still rather astounded by how much trust Mheetu seemed to hold with the leopards, who were not particularly known for their friendly relations with lions. She quickly checked on her friends; Jeraha had relaxed considerably as he walked through the forest after her, but Kivuli still seemed very tense. It didn't really surprise Janga, since she knew that her friend was never quick to extend trust to anyone. Still, Mheetu was a cubhood friend, and even though Janga had never talked to him all that much, he appeared to be friendly enough. And apart from her friends, he was the only link she had left to her home._

"_So, Janga, it's...uh, been too long," Mheetu said, pulling her out of her thoughts._

_Despite her exhaustion and all the danger they had recently escaped, Janga couldn't help but grin. "Don't sound so proper," she replied lightly. "Last time I saw you, you were a runt."_

_He laughed. "I was taller than you, if I recall. You were the scrawny one in the pride then, remember?"_

_Behind them, Kivuli nudged Jeraha surreptitiously. "Isn't he quick to get chummy?" she muttered to him under her breath._

"_He stopped those leopards from ripping us to pieces," he reminded her quietly. "And now we have help, just like you wanted."_

_She scowled but didn't say anything more. The mixed procession of lions and leopards filed through the forest, mostly in silence save for Mheetu and Janga who were conversing quietly near the back of the group._

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·**  
Zamaradi trekked through the plains, listening to the sound of the wind rustling through the tall grass beneath her paws. She stopped at the top of a small hill, turning her emerald green eyes to the land before her.

She was an impressive figure, standing lightly but firmly on her paws with a fine balance. She was a full-size adult cheetah who was nearing the end of her youth but not yet aged enough to forfeit the strength that she so solidly exuded. As the leader of the Keepers Beyond the Pridelands, her life was regarded as one of great importance, and so she would usually be accompanied by a number of her cheetahs when she was this far from the Keepers' camp. But today she had received news that greatly distressed her, and she had insisted on getting some time to herself. And the Great Kings help any one of her enemies that dared to try and assassinate her on this day.

Her nephew, Beba, was missing. Something that might have not been unusual if he was still a cub who loved to wander off at his own whim, but now that he was a young adult cheetah, Zamaradi knew something was wrong. If anything happened to him, she would make sure that whoever was responsible would pay with more than just their lives.

She had to admit, Beba had never favoured her very much; they didn't usually agree on a lot of things, especially as he grew older and learned more about how the Keepers worked and what they did. What Zamaradi might view as an unfortunate necessity he could see as an outright wrongdoing. But that was to be expected. He was young and naïve, with a very definite idea of how to rule a single coalition, so never mind a group with as many species as the Keepers had. She couldn't be completely certain, but she suspected that he had even snuck off to the Pridelands on past occasions; if he did, he hadn't said a word about it.

It was Beba who was the most outspoken against Mheetu's imprisonment. It could be possible that Zamaradi's young nephew had simply left to blow off steam, but she had a bad feeling that Mheetu _did_ have something to do with his disappearance. _Where are you, Mheetu? If you've hurt Beba, then you will most certainly be sorry. And you still have to answer for what you've done..._

Zamaradi's claws had unsheathed and they were digging marks into the dirt, ripping out blades of grass with a barely contained savageness. How it was that Mheetu had so quickly and absolutely betrayed them was beyond her comprehension. But sooner or later they would catch him, and she would make sure that he gave her all the answers she was looking for as she ripped the life from his body bit by bit. _We saved you from Scar. Took you in, and gave you a chance to right what's been done wrong. Not just to you, but to all of us. And this is how you repay us_. She bristled with anger, unable to believe that she once had so much faith in the young lion.

"Zamaradi! I have news!"

Zamaradi turned away from the plains to see another cheetah running towards her. It was Amiri, one of her trusted lieutenants. He was a swift runner, even for one of her species, but she could tell that he had run a long way even if he was not breathing erratically. _Whatever this news is, it must be important._

She was not wrong. "Zamaradi, Janga has returned," he told her, getting right to the point. "And she wants to see you right away."

* * *

**[Original Character Names]  
Mateka:** Prisoner  
**Jeraha:** Wound  
**Kivuli**: Shadow  
**Topazi:** Topaz  
**Zamaradi:** Emerald  
**Amiri:** Captain

**[Canon Character Names]  
Afua:** Forgiveness  
**Simba:** Lion  
**Babu:** Grandfather  
**Boga:** Pumpkin  
**Kula:** Eat  
**Chumvi:** Salt  
**Malka:** Queen  
**Sabini:** Seventy  
**Leo:** Today  
**Tama:** Jewel  
**Mufasa:** King  
**Tojo:** Slash  
**Beba:** Carry


	3. The Hunt Begins

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·  
**The group of lions were led back to Mount Tempest by Simba in a rough double line, with Kula and Chumvi carrying Mateka's body at the centre of the formation. As they neared the edge of the tall grass adjacent to the mountain stronghold's rocky plateau, Kopa, who was directly behind Simba, saw Malka waiting with a formation of lions in the clearing.

Kopa slowed down and turned his head back. The others had maintained a steady pace as they made their way back, so that Mateka could be brought back as gently as possible. His eyes swept up and down the formation until he spotted Afua, who was padding slowly next to Chumvi. His expression was stony.

Vitani, who was also close to the front of the group, stepped off to the side and stopped next to Kopa. "You're going to pay your last respects to her, right?"

He knew that she was only asking because she was questioning whether or not he would be able to face it. He set his jaw firmly, determined to rightly carry through his resolution for closure. "Yeah. Just give me a minute, I...need to talk to Afua."

She nodded and kept walking, needing to ask no questions from him. She had always known him so well, even before they had become mates. As Afua walked past, Kopa nudged him gently on the shoulder. "Hey."

His friend, preoccupied with walking Mateka to her tomb, gave a start before noticing him. "Hey, Kopa. What is it?"

Kopa waited until the last of the group had disappeared into the grass again before he cleared his throat. He let out a slow breath and looked Afua straight in the eyes. "Afua, I, uh...I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly and I didn't mean any of the things I said about you and Siri. You spoke to me as a friend, but I haven't been a great friend to you. I...you should do what you think is right, and..." he hesitated, but pushed on with what he was going to say before it slipped away from him. "...and if she needs you, then I think you'll be a great mate to her." He coughed awkwardly, unaccustomed to being so openly confessional.

Afua smiled, but there was something forlorn about it. "Thanks, Kopa. You know, I've been thinking about it a lot myself, and I can accept it if Siri wants space because she misses my brother, and so do you. I was afraid I was going to lose you as a friend, and I wouldn't have been able to stand that. I mean...we just got you back."

"Well, I'm not going to disappear again," Kopa said. "There are too many others that I worry about for me to dwell on the past all the time."

Afua's smile slowly vanished, and his expression was now completely serious. "If we're going to get these things out of the way, then I guess I have to ask you something too...When you look at me, do you still see Tumaini?"

Kopa shook his head. "I did at first. But I'm moving on now. If he were here...he'd cuff me and tell me to stop walking around with a dark cloud hanging over my head." He laughed quietly.

His friend gave a slight chuckle, but he still looked troubled. "You're lucky then," he sighed. "I wish I could just choose to find my peace with him. I wish it were that easy."

Their conversation was interrupted as Siri appeared in the grass off to the side. Both male lions turned their heads towards her, but if she had overheard them, she gave no sign of it. "Malka's taking Mateka into the cave where we placed Tumaini. Are you two coming?"

"Yeah," said Kopa. He had been planning to visit Tumaini after accompanying Mateka to her final resting place. _Move on, but never forget_. That was what he was going to do.

Afua muttered something indiscernible and walked past Siri, heading towards Mount Tempest's main entrance, not stopping to look back at either of them. She stared after him, looking slightly concerned. "What's wrong with Afua? Is he angry at me?"

Kopa shook his head. He walked beside her as as they followed him into the mountain. "I think he's more confused than anything, Siri. And he's having trouble finding closure with Tumaini."

She sighed, scuffing her paw against the stony ground. "I guessed as much. What about you, Kopa? How are you doing now with...everything?"

_Not great, but I'll be alright,_ he thought. He smiled, hoping she wouldn't start fretting over him. "I'm doing better," he told her. "Listen, Siri, don't worry about me. Keep an eye on Afua though, would you?"

···

**·YEAR 3 OF SCAR'S REIGN, MONTH 9 [4 YEARS AGO]·**  
_The camp was nearly invisible under the cover of the night, and Janga didn't even realize that they were in the midst of it until there were animals appearing out of the darkness to observe them. She had never seen so many of them in one place, or so abundant in diversity. There were, of course, black leopards, but also cheetahs, grey wolves, and wild dogs that were almost as hard to see as the leopards, nearly invisible save for the silver streaks running down the length of their onyx-black fur. She could even hear the sound of eagles flying about over their heads._

_Topazi stopped the group at a short but wide kopje, and his leopards spread out and stepped back. The leader himself, however, approached the kopje and nimbly ascended its gentle rocky slope. Mheetu turned his head back to Janga and her friends. "Stand here," he said. Then he turned his gaze back to front and waited._

_One of the eagles swooped down and perched on Topazi's shoulder, folding her wings against her body and fixing her piercing crimson eyes on Janga. They were then joined by a silver-grey wolf, and shortly afterwards, a pure-black wild dog whose stern eyes were just as colourless as his fur. Finally, a sturdy, confident-looking cheetah appeared on the kopje, standing in the centre of the group and a little more forward than the others. "You have returned from your patrol, Mheetu," she said, rather neutrally._

_Mheetu bowed his head humbly. "I've come across three lions who were once part of the Pridelanders, but they, like me, have been cast out by the tyrant. I've brought them here to join the Keepers."_

_The cheetah's emerald-green eyes flitted from Janga to her friends, and back to her. "Then I welcome you, friends of Mheetu," she said, though her voice remained level and held little warmth. "Although we are not lions like you, we were once part of the Pridelands as well. Part of what your Kings referred to as 'The Circle of Life'. But the circle has been broken when the usurper Scar ascended the throne, and the land was no longer healthy enough for us, so we fled." She paused to indicate the other animals standing on the kopje with her as well as those surrounding the lions. "We are the Keepers Beyond the Pridelands. My name is Zamaradi, and my coalition gives us the advantage of speed." She inclined her head towards Topazi, who was standing to her right. "Topazi, who brought you here, is one of our leaders and gives us the advantage of stealth. Akiki's convocation," she indicated the black-and-white eagle on his shoulder, "is our eyes, and Almasi's pack," she indicated the wolf on her other side, whose stern, pure-white eyes were even lighter than his fur, "is our ears. And Shohamu's pack," she indicated the obsidian black wild dog on the far left, "is our strength. We seek to contain the deathly effect that Scar's reign has caused from escaping his cursed kingdom, and when we are strong enough, we will one day return there and defeat the usurper and his abominable hyena followers."_

_Janga decided to bow her head as well as a sign of respect. "My name is Janga, and these are my friends, Jeraha and Kivuli. We were forced to escape after Scar sent his hyenas after us and killed my sisters."_

"_Your sisters?" Zamaradi inquired._

_Janga felt the familiar bitterness seize her being as she remembered the way that __Maskini_ _and __Hatia_ _were butchered by her own father. "My younger sisters, both of them cubs. I was warned by my mother to escape, and I took my sisters with me, but...I couldn't save them." She felt a single tear of rage slip from her eye and drip onto her paw, but she fought to keep herself in check. Giving way to anger would accomplish nothing. Not right now, at least._

_Shohamu, the wild dog, closed his night-black eyes. "The tyrant's cruelty is boundless," he murmured. For a moment, there was a slight break in Zamaradi's faultless composure, and a hint of sympathy appeared in her expression._

"_I am sorry to hear of your loss, Janga," she said, her voice losing some of its briskness. "I take it you will want to see through our unenviable task with us. And join us on the day that we will free the Pridelands from its tyrant."_

_There was no hesitation in Janga's voice. Nor was there any falter. "Even if I am to die for it."_

"_Then it's decided. As of tonight, you are one of us now."_

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·  
**"So, that's how Janga became part of the Keepers," Ni finished.

Nala was lost in thought, visualizing the story as it played out in her mind. She brought up what she could still remember about Janga in her cubhood.

"Sounds like the Janga I knew when she left the Pridelands," she said slowly. "And she seemed to trust Mheetu completely. So what went wrong?"

"That's a story for another day," he replied. "But it's getting late, and we should all stop to get some rest."

Nala hadn't realized until he pointed it out that night had fallen. She looked around the vast empty plains; the last traces of sunlight had vanished over the horizon, and there was no sign of life from anyone apart from their group. They still had a long way to go.

"There's a river not far from here," said Tojo as he and Tama settled down on a spot on the ground. "Is that where we're going tomorrow?"

Ni nodded. "We're going to follow the river for a while and then break away once we enter the crater."

"The crater?" Tama asked.

"There's a crater of a massive extinct volcano not far from here," he explained. "Those mountains you thought you saw earlier today is actually the ring of the crater. Once we near it, we'll be well within the Keepers' territory."

"And Mheetu's somewhere in that crater," Nala murmured, casting her gaze to the distance as if she could actually see her brother somewhere in the darkness.

"We'll have to be a lot more careful tomorrow," said Ni. "It won't be easy to guide this many of us out of the open without being detected, but once we're in the ring, we should be clear. Anyway, who's going to take the first watch?"

"I'll do it," said Leo.

"What, and fall asleep again?" snorted Sabini, shoving her mate lightly. "Get some sleep, Leo. I'll take first shift."

Nala watched absently as the others settled into comfortable spots and drifted off to sleep one by one in silence. She put her face on her paws and closed her eyes, trying to do the same.

But no matter what, sleep would not come to her. She laid there for what seemed like hours before finally giving up on trying to fall asleep. She got up and padded over to Sabini, who was vigilantly sitting straight-backed off the side of the group. "Why don't you get some sleep, Sabini. I'll take the next shift."

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" Sabini asked without turning her head.

Nala shook her head. "I just...can't help but wonder if he's alright. He's my little brother, and...I haven't seen him in years. He's been alive all these years, I feel like I should have been there for him."

"You can stay up with me if you want, Nala. But if you don't mind, I'd rather keep watch with you."

There was something in Sabini's voice that Nala recognized. Concern. "Something on your mind?"

Sabini sighed. "Mega, my father, was with Mheetu when everyone got separated. And I don't like to worry you, but Janga's got it out for your brother. And my father's someone who would put himself in front of someone else to shield them from harm."

Nala felt a twinge of guilt at having heard this. Here she was, fretting night and day over Mheetu so much she had almost forgotten that Ni's entire pride was in danger because they protected him. "Oh, kings above, Sabini, I'm sorry..."

Sabini shook her head. "Don't feel bad. You've got every right to think about Mheetu. My father told me that Scar had killed my brother just after I was born, though I wasn't old enough to remember it. But that's not really the same thing, I guess..." She sighed, blinking the moisture out of her hazel eyes. She looked at Nala and smiled. "We don't really know each other all that well, do we, Nala? I was always in a different hunting party from you, I didn't hang around with you and the other mothers because Leo and I never had our own cubs...I always observed you from a distance, I guess."

Nala nodded. "When you and Leo left the pride, you both still felt like strangers. You knew my mother a bit better though."

"I did. She would always talk about you, you know. But...she never mentioned Mheetu. I had heard rumours that you had a brother, but I didn't want to pry because Sarafina would start to get upset whenever we got close to the subject." There was a thoughtful look in Sabini's eye. "You know, our pride...Ni's pride, I mean...given the circumstances, we never got to know Mheetu all that well in the short time that we hid him from the Keepers, except that he desperately wanted to see you and your mother. Could you...tell me about him, Nala?"

_Tell you about him?_ From what she heard in Ni's story, Nala doubted that the Mheetu that Ni's pride had found was anything like the cheeky, playful cub she had always looked out for. But she made sure that she would never lose the memory of that cub no matter how many years passed since she had last seen him.

She owed Ni and his pride for protecting him. They deserved to know who he was. They deserve And so, she began talking about him, starting with the day he was born...

···

Siri didn't say a word throughout the entirety of Mateka's passing ceremony. At one point, she couldn't help but glance over to the spot where Tumaini's body had been cast away from what felt like an eternity ago. She watched sullenly as Mateka's body was slowly placed into Mount Tempest's swift but gentle waterway that led away from the stronghold's clean channels and into the mountain range. _Your body is laid to rest in the mountains, where the Great Kings will take your spirit into the heavens. Or so the saying goes in our pride..._

Once the young lioness disappeared into the darkness of the water and was silently carried away, Siri turned her head to Afua. He had been present as well during Tumaini's ceremony, although at the time she had been grieving with Malka and hadn't taken much notice of Afua. But as she thought this, the images began to resurface, and she recalled with crystal clarity that he hadn't shed a single tear. And with that realization, Siri felt an unfamiliar resentment take hold of her.

She kept herself impassive as she left with the others, though she made sure that Afua was right in front of her the whole time. As she stepped out of Mount Tempest and everyone headed off in separate directions, she noticed that Kopa hadn't come out with them. It didn't matter, she didn't need him with her right now.

"Afua," she called, surprised by the coolness of her tone. Afua turned around, and he spotted her standing off to the side from the main entrance. When she didn't move at all, he padded over to her.

"I didn't know her long, but you did," she said quietly. "I'm sorry."

He acknowledged the statement by biting his lip. "I wish I could've done something to change it."

"There was nothing you could have done," she replied.

A painful expression appeared on his face. "I feel responsible. I mean, I argued with Kopa and made him run off, so Mateka had to go after him—"

"Why do you both like to blame yourselves so much?" Siri demanded, with more irritation than she let on.

"Because that was our friend, Siri," he snapped back, noticing her tone. "I admit it, I couldn't face Kopa because I felt ashamed of what he said to me! There, are you happy? If I had gone with her to find him, this might not have happened!"

"That argument was not your fault, and both you and Kopa know it," she said sharply. "He's not to blame for what happened to Mateka, and neither are you."

"You don't get it!" he shouted. "If you were with someone and didn't know it would be the last time you were going to see them, you would know what—"

"That's just it, I do get it," she retorted. "Because that's exactly what I had to go through when I lost your brother. The brother, I might add, that you don't seem to care one bit about, and I sometimes still blame myself for how he died!"

Afua's face became a stormy mask. "And what was my brother to you?" he asked bitingly. "Someone else you didn't know long, but I did?"

"I don't understand you!" Siri yelled, slamming one clenched paw into the ground in frustration. "When are you going to let go of what he's done, Afua? When are you going to stop _hating_ him?"

"When?" he let out a bitter laugh, turning away quickly as droplets of angry tears flew from his face. "You make it sound like it's my choice, Siri. Like I want to just hate him or something." His head fell and he let out a noise that was like something between a cough and a grunt of pain. His shoulders were shaking. "I wish I had the chance to forgive him. I want it so badly that it keeps me up almost every night trying to figure out how I can do it. This place was hell for me for as long as I can remember. I can't even walk down a corridor without expecting my brother to turn the corner at any moment. If you really want to know, the reason I came back in the first place was because I wanted to see him, face to face, so that he could look me in the eye and tell me he was sorry." He turned back to face Siri, and in those tearful, furious eyes she could see the torment that filled his being. "But the cold hard truth is that he's dead! He's _gone_, Siri! My brother Tumaini who messed his life up and mine with one stupid accident, who wanted more than anything to make it right, as you keep telling me...he's left me behind and I can _never_ catch up to him again, to forgive him. I can't even cry for him like you and father did, and do you know how much that's destroying me? _That's_ what I have to live with, Siri." Afua sniffed and wiped his eyes with one paw. He ran off, disappearing around the mountain bend and leaving Siri where she was, her eyes still fixed on the spot he was a moment ago.

···

Janga was already standing next to the Keepers' kopje by the time that Zamaradi returned to camp. Though Janga was clearly alone, there wasn't a single sign of a visible injury on her, which wasn't oddly surprising. She was good at taking care of herself, a trait that Zamaradi had always admired.

As the cheetah leader neared her, she paused slightly, spotting the long claw-marked scar over Janga's left eye. It was a familiar sight, and one that every one of the Keepers despised greatly. That scar was the very symbol of the tyranny which they fought to eradicate. It was an infamous mark once seen on Scar himself, but ever since he had been overthrown it had disappeared, until...

Zamaradi relaxed. Janga had never been disloyal to the Keepers. And she had been the one to expose Mheetu's true colours, having given up all her trust and attachment for him after what he had done. So she had been scarred; the similarity was a coincidence and meant nothing at all. The cheetah resumed her pace, approaching with a friendly smile. "Janga, it is a relief to see that you are well."

The lioness, however, looked troubled. "So I am," she replied evenly. "But I can't say the same for the rest of my pride. I've lost many loyal followers to making mistakes I could have prevented."

Zamaradi knew that Janga was young, but also competent. Whatever these mistakes were, they were likely to have been due to some sort of fluke. Nonetheless, she decided to ask, "Tell me, what went wrong?"

"I drove the Tempest pride out of their home to use the territory to our advantage," Janga said dully. "But we weren't fast enough to stop them from seeking help from the Pridelanders, and so Simba came to their aid. And one of the Tempest pride's huntresses returned and overheard my plans, and she escaped and got the word out. From there, I've found myself deterred with every move. My pride has about a score left in strength. Maybe the numbers are even smaller by now."

"You have my condolences," Zamaradi murmured. "I take it you will want to leave very soon."

Janga nodded. "Their time is running out. I can't waste any more of their lives. I came to get help."

"Then now is an ideal time. Most of Ni's pride is still in hiding, but they are not our priority now. I will rally the Keepers and mobilize them to head to the Pridelands, but I need you, Janga, to complete an important task."

Janga was about to protest and insist on bringing her pride back into the Keepers' protection herself. But she trusted Zamaradi's judgement and knew that they would be safe under the cheetah leader's orders. "Whatever you ask, Zamaradi."

"Akiki informs me that Mheetu and the lions with him have escaped our border guards this morning," the cheetah leader said quietly. "She caught onto their trail after the storm ended, but by then they had already made it too far out of the crater. I want you to go find Mheetu, and kill him."

_So he escaped,_ Janga thought. It angered her that he still tried so hard to keep himself alive, after everything he had done. _Then it may be just as well that I kill him myself_. "I'll leave right now," she said. "If Akiki can show me which way they went—"

"Not so fast, Janga," Zamaradi said. "I cannot send you alone, since you would be outnumbered. I already assigned a team to go after Mheetu, but seeing as you are here, I trust that your personal dealings with him will motivate you to succeed." She turned her head as they were approached by twenty-five wild dogs. Janga's face stiffened, recognizing the one leading them, the one whose hard orange eyes gleamed underneath his pure-black fur.

"Bane," the lioness muttered, not bothering to hide the hostility in her voice.

"You undermine me, Zamaradi," said Bane in a light tone that did not fit his menacing, guttural voice. "We have a personal score to settle with Mheetu as much as Janga does. What he did was unforgivable, and he still has yet to pay his debt of blood to my pack..."

"I am aware," Zamaradi replied, her usual even tone now slightly affronting. "But perhaps with Janga leading your pack, you may learn to be objective about things."

Bane growled quietly but did not rise to the slightly insulting remark. "I trust that the remainder of my pack will all be present when we meet at Mount Tempest," was all he said before leading his silently watching black-and-silver wild dogs away from the kopje and breaking into a rapid sprint. Janga gave Zamaradi a long stare that mirrored the cheetah's clear mistrust of Bane and his pack, but then followed them away without any objection.

"Janga will not come to any harm in their company, I hope," said a voice from behind. Zamaradi noticed that Almasi was standing beside her, his gaze also directed at the pack vanishing into the distance. Although "gaze" would have been a misleading term to apply to a blind wolf, but to her there had always seemed to be something more lifelike in those unseeing eyes than cataracts.

"Bane would not dare disobey me," Zamaradi said reassuringly. "He is malicious, but even he is not intent on destroying everything Shohamu had done for us."

"And if he returns to tell you that Janga had died in an unfortunate accident, or that she was killed in the fight against Mheetu?" Almasi asked pointedly.

_Janga would never be so careless with her own life,_ Zamaradi thought. _Bane would be foolish to think that he can convince me otherwise_. But nonetheless...

"If that is the news he will bring," she said calmly, "then he will be killed along with every member of his pack."

* * *

**[Author's Note]  
**And there you have it, the first of three characters submitted by the reader. While Bane is one of the minor characters, I'll be sure to make his part interesting. And I'll reveal a little more about Mheetu with each chapter as our present-day plot progresses. The two arcs may seem separate right now, but it'll all come together in time, and hopefully as this will all make sense once we get far along enough. Hope you're all enjoying the story so far! :)**  
**

If you're wondering about the crater, I've based the location on the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is directly southeast of the Serengeti. The Ngorongoro Crater has been extinct for 2—3 million years and is about 260 square kilometres in area. It's an ideal habitat for a diverse number of animals, which is why I picked it as the Keepers' "fortress", so to speak.

* * *

**[Original Character Names]**  
**Tumaini:** Hope  
**Siri:** Secret  
**Akiki:** Ruby  
**Almasi:** Diamond  
**Shohamu:** Onyx  
**Maskini:** Wretched  
**Hatia:** Condemned  
**Bane:** Slayer (Old English)


	4. Maji

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·  
**Kopa spent all night sleeping outside Mount Tempest. Although the stronghold was now fully reclaimed by the two prides and most of the others accepted the quarters Malka had assigned them, he had decided not to take one for one himself. Maybe it was because he was so used to sleeping under the open sky after doing so for most of his life. Maybe it was because he couldn't find comfort there after his time imprisoned inside. Or maybe his thoughts were just too frequented by Mateka's ceremony to want to stay in the tunnels and the caves for too long.

Beside him was Vitani, who had voiced no objections when he told her that he wanted to pass the night on the plateau. Simba hadn't tried to talk him out of it either; in fact, everyone had been very lenient towards him after Jeraha had made his last stand in Mount Tempest a few days ago. Kopa didn't think that it was because of his part in thwarting the attack either. He could tell that the recurring sense of unease he had once given everyone was now gone.

He was awakened unexpectedly by a none-too-gentle poke in the side. He opened his eyes, blinking the sleep away as he saw Vitani looking away from him rather intently. "Huh?"

She was staring at the tall array of grass at the edge of the plateau. Her demeanour was rigid and her eyes held a sharp focus that he saw when she spotted something unfamiliar. "There's something in the grass."

Kopa never doubted Vitani's sense of danger for a moment. He got up immediately, knowing that she always recognized trouble when she saw it. "Where?" he asked quietly, following her gaze.

"Over there. See how it's moving differently? It's coming this way."

Kopa looked carefully, and surely enough, he could see the way that the grass seemed to twitch surreptitiously even though there was no wind at all. It was something that he might not have noticed at all, but Vitani's senses were among the keenest in the pride. The grass was rustling in lines the same way as when there were hunting parties returning to Mount Tempest. Which meant that some sort of creatures around the same size as lions were heading towards them. "Looks like there are a lot of them," he whispered.

"We should warn your father," Vitani said, sounding calm despite the possibility of imminent danger.

"Warn me of what?"

Kopa and Vitani turned around. Simba was standing behind them, along with Kovu and Kiara. Kopa noticed that his sister had a number of still-healing wounds on her face, forelegs, and flanks, but Simba said that they would disappear in time and leave no scars. For now, he was just glad that she was able to get up and walk around again.

"There's a group heading this way, Simba," Vitani told him, getting straight to the point. "What they are, I don't know...I can't pick up their scent in the grass."

Simba looked into the grasslands, watching carefully. "Yes, I see them. Kiara, go warn Malka. Whatever it is, we need to be ready."

"They're almost upon us," Kovu warned, shifting into a ready stance.

Kiara didn't leave her father's side. Kopa and Vitani took positions on either side of Simba and waited. The blades of grass before them parted—and out stepped a black leopard.

It was a female, and she looked young, somewhere around the same age as Kopa. She immediately noticed the lions and the tension hanging between them, but only faltered for a moment before stepping forward onto the plateau. She was then joined by more leopards, who appeared one by one and then spread out into a horizontal line before them. There were nine of them in total.

The female's deep-golden eyes were on Simba. "So you _are_ here, King Simba," she said, her voice placid with just a hint of relief.

Simba relaxed. "Maji. It's good to see you. How are the Pridelands faring in my absence?"

Maji's demeanour was grim. "Not good, I'm afraid. I was told by Sarafina to find you here, but there was no time to talk before Pride Rock was invaded by Kivuli and her pride—"

"What?" the king roared, his expression instantly transforming into outrage. "When did this happen?"

"Two nights ago," she replied, her voice heavy. "I promised to find help, and we've had to cut around the mountains to get all the way here without rest. We have to return quickly."

"Two nights ago," Kopa repeated numbly. It had been right after Jeraha and his lions had attacked Mount Tempest. He exchanged glances with Vitani, whose expression was just as disbelieving as his. "So it was a diversion...the rest of Janga's pride is at Pride Rock..."

"I won't accept this," Simba growled. "I'm going back now, and—"

"Ni said that Janga could return with an army to attack Mount Tempest," Kovu reminded him. "Malka needs us here to make plans, and lead the two prides into battle if necessary."

Maji's eyes shifted to him. "You're talking about the Keepers," she said.

"What?" Simba said, momentarily distracted.

"The Keepers Beyond the Pridelands," she explained. "An assembly of former Pridelanders that rallied to bring down Scar's reign. After you reclaimed the throne, Simba, I left them and returned here. But many of them don't trust you as king because you're his nephew. So they intend to reach the Pridelands and enthrone a new king."

Simba gritted his teeth, caught between two conflicting issues that both required his attention. "I can't just abandon the others," he muttered fitfully. "The elders and the wounded, Maji, are they alright?"

"Sarafina was forced to rally those able to move quickly and take them away from Pride Rock," Maji told him. "The rest, I believe, have been taken captive."

"I'll go," said Kopa suddenly. He was no good at making plans, something both Simba and Malka were well aware of. He would be of little help here, and now that the home he had once remembered was in trouble, he wanted to do something about it. "I'll take some of the others and we'll deal with Kivuli. I...I can do it."

Simba turned to his son, as if seeing him for the first time. He then glanced to Maji, who was observing Kopa rather dubiously. But there was no time to contemplate; he had no idea what lengths Kivuli would go to with her scheme and every second counted. "Alright. You'll lead the team, Kopa. But..." he glanced at the leopard again, "...take Vitani with you."

Kopa nodded in agreement, not having noticed the way that Maji seemed to relax somewhat. "I'll bring Rafiki back too. We're going to need someone to tend to the wounded now that..." _Now that Mateka's gone_. "...I won't be long."

"We have food, if you want it," Simba told Maji. "And if your leap requires rest, you're all welcome to stay for as long as you need. You've come a long way from the Pridelands to get here."

"We have no time to spare," she said firmly. "Our return journey will take more time as we will be travelling through the mountains. It's the only route to get us close enough to the Pridelands without alerting ourselves to Kivuli's patrols."

Simba nodded. "Good luck then. I know you'll do everything you can for my pride. Kopa, Vitani...keep yourselves safe."

"I'll go assemble the team," said Vitani curtly, and she hurried away.

Kopa made to follow, when he heard his father calling him. "Kopa..."

"Father?" he asked.

Simba's face was full of worry, and so was his voice when he spoke. "Make sure Timon and Pumbaa are alright."

"I promise they will be," Kopa said, and ran off as well.

"If all goes well, we will be back to join you in battle against the Keepers before they're here," Maji said.

"Thank you again, Maji," Simba said distractedly. She nodded once before turning away, and she led her leopards after Kopa into Mount Tempest.

"I've never met Pridelander black leopards before," Kiara said quietly after they were gone, speaking for the first time.

"There aren't many of them in the Pridelands," Simba murmured. "And they keep to themselves mostly, away from the other animals and especially our pride. Maji and I have spoken on occasion but only out of necessity."

"She's a strange one," Kiara remarked.

Simba sighed. "That she is...she doesn't trust lions very much," he explained. "After I overthrew Scar, she was returning to the Pridelands with some members of her leap. On their way back, her mother was killed by a rogue lion and after that she had to take care of herself. She was only a cub when she made it back, and I welcomed her into the Pridelands and decided not to ask too many questions."

His daughter's expression became sympathetic upon hearing these words. Kovu, who had been watching the leopards, suddenly remembered something. "You had another reason to ask Vitani to go with him, didn't you, Simba?"

"Maji isn't one to give her trust away to just anyone," Simba said. "But she'd be more likely to be comfortable dealing with lions if they happen to be female."

"I hope they'll be alright," Kiara said softly.

_Me too,_ Simba thought. _I've already lost my mother. I can't lose Sarafina as well—or Kopa._

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SCAR'S REIGN, MONTH 5 [3 YEARS AGO]·  
**_As the months passed, Janga could feel herself growing and becoming stronger with each passing day. In a remarkably short period of time, she had nearly doubled in size, and the muscles on her body became more pronounced. Every day she pushed herself to further her physical limits and increase her reaction time. Often she would be permitted to join the Keepers' war council and learn not just to survive, but to strategize. Less than a year after she had first been found by them, she had grown into a young but powerful, fit young lioness._

_Their new life had favoured her friends as well; Jeraha and Kivuli were nearing adulthood, and both had only become more distinctive as individuals with time. Jeraha's bulky adolescent form was now bursting with muscles, and he was one of the strongest members of the Keepers, surpassing even most of the adult cheetahs and leopards. Kivuli's fur had darkened and her figure was sleek but strong, and she had developed an air of intimidation that rivalled that of Topazi and his leopards._

_The Keepers' numbers had slowly but steadily grown in size as well; over time, there were more and more creatures that had fled the Pridelands and united under the Keepers' leaders with a determination to free their home. Occasionally, there would also be small groups of animals that met with them and were sympathetic towards their cause. Zamaradi had been confident that in another year, they would be ready to take on Scar and his hyenas._

_Hyenas. One of the species that were absolutely forbidden from joining the Keepers. Everyone had agreed that they were far too barbaric and untrustworthy to do anything but hinder the Keepers' efforts. There hadn't been many of them seen this far along the border of the Serengeti, but sometimes a patrol group of eagles would report a few hyenas spotted not far from the caldera where the Keepers inhabited. Janga was permitted to lead a team of the relatively few lions that had joined the Keepers and eliminate the loathsome creatures. For the first time, she had found an opportunity for revenge after all that had happened in the Pridelands._

_Mheetu would never join her on the attacks, however. Janga could tell that he didn't care much for killing at all, and she wondered what he was going to do when the day came for them to bring down Scar's regime. But she had often kept her thoughts on the matter to herself; like her, he had suffered a difficult cubhood and didn't need to dwell on poignant thoughts. It hadn't escaped her notice either that Kivuli didn't seem to like Mheetu, although whether this was due to his apathy of violence, Janga didn't know. And if he was aware of Kivuli's hostility, he didn't seem to particularly care. The two of them never talked much anyway._

_Despite the long time Janga had spent with the Keepers, and Mheetu in particular, she had rarely talked about personal matters very much, and when they did, the subject would quickly be changed. And with each passing day, she only felt like it was getting harder to start getting to know him. All she could do most of the time was make small talk, and despite his friendly nature, she noticed how reserved he was about many things. And after fruitlessly denying her own thoughts for the past month or so, she finally gave in to admit that she thought he was rather handsome._

_Janga couldn't explain how it was that every time she saw him walking along somewhere, he would somehow notice and catch her eye. The innocence had faded from those thoughtful green eyes, but the gentleness in them would always be what would catch her attention. She could swear at times he would be on the verge of opening himself up to her. But he never seemed to find the will, and so she never pushed him._

"_Janga? You're going the wrong way. We're heading out of the ring now."_

_Janga was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts, realizing that she was indeed about to reach the edge of the volcanic caldera that spanned the Keepers' crater. Beside her was Mheetu, who was watching her, perplexed. They had been taking a walk on this sunny morning, having come across a rare occasion when neither of them had duties to carry out for the day. "Sorry," she said. "I was thinking about something, my mind just..."_

"_It's okay," Mheetu said, grinning. "You didn't hear what I just said, then."_

"_No," she said apologetically._

_"Zamaradi''s brother __Amethisto_ _and his mate have had a litter of cubs," he told her. "Akiki says they're coming here once they're ready to travel."_

"_I didn't know Zamaradi had a brother," Janga said, surprised._

"_Amethisto and __Huruma_ _are nomads," he explained. "They live without a coalition and travel the land freely. They were born in the Pridelands and would sometimes return there even after they left. But these days they only go there now to bring news to Zamaradi about Scar."_

_Janga became quiet. Mheetu rarely talked about Scar, but the way he said his name seemed too casual considering everything both of them had been put through because of him. Noticing her change, Mheetu murmured, "Janga, what's wrong? I know it's not easy to think about the past, but when I see you I feel like there's always something that's bothering you."_

"_Of course," she replied, a little defensively. "I don't think I'll ever feel like everything is right until the Pridelands are restored."_

_He observed her for a moment, contemplating something. His expression became serious. "I'm sorry. I wish I could do something now, but I guess if that's what you want, then the best I can do is to help you. I want to go home too, but...I just don't know if things are going to be the same."_

Things are never going to be the same. Never. _Janga fought down the agonizing thought as the image of her sisters, limp and bloody, flashed in her mind. "I hate him!" she suddenly growled, unable to contain herself. "Mheetu, I want to kill him. I want him to suffer!"_

_Mheetu bit his lip and looked down, clearly not liking to hear such words from her. Even if it was directed at the one who had irreversibly damaged both their lives. "I know. He has to die. But..."_

"_You don't understand," she said, a little forcefully. She tipped his face up with her paw so that he was looking right at her. "You know what he is to me, Mheetu. Scar is my father." _

_She was expecting an outburst from him, some sort of angry retort to take form. Or at least for him to ask why she never talked about Scar all this time. But he just stared at her for a long time in silence, and she wondered if he would have trouble trusting her now that she had reminded him of who she really was._

"_Do you want to tell me everything?" he asked quietly._

"_What?" she said, blinking. Mheetu sighed._

"_Janga, we don't know each other very well, do we?" he said heavily. "I thought you came all the way out here because you just wanted to forget what happened in the past."_

"_Sometimes I do," she growled. "But that's not going to fix anything, is it?"_

"_No, it's not. Which is why we have to set things right, like you said. But we have to know each other first. We have to trust each other."_

"_We trust the Keepers," she said. "And they trust us."_

"_They know what we want, not who we are," he reminded her gently._

_There was no forcefulness to his tone, and yet Janga knew what he was asking her. She was reluctant to think that she was about to reveal all the abhorrent details of her past, but she knew he was right. And she had already confessed one of her darkest secrets to him already when she had told him about her sisters; she could either trust him or risk losing his._

_And so she told him everything. From the days of her cubhood where she was forced to take care of herself while Sarabi was out hunting, to the degrading state of the Pridelands she grew up in with the dwindling numbers of the pride, to the days where every lion went for days without food while the hyenas only become more numerous, and every last unjust act Scar had imposed upon them all. When she got to the part where she had tried to escape the Pridelands, she faltered at describing her sisters' gruesome fates. But Mheetu waited patiently, his expression impassive as Janga told him with some difficulty about Nala and Sarafina, and then what had happened when Scar ruthlessly murdered Maskini and Hatia. Dully, she concluded by describing how she had parted ways with Mheetu's family and set out into the Serengeti._

_When she was finished, she noticed that he was now staring down at the ground in silence. His face was stony. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "I mean, you told me before about them. But to hear it like that...that must have been hard. If there was anything you could have done for them—"_

"_There wasn't," Janga said, with a sharpness to her tone. As if it would be easier to think about if she could convince herself that her sisters had been already doomed. He noticed, and looked up to stare at her._

"_Do you blame Nala for what happened?" he asked hesitantly._

_She shook her head. "She was...doing what..." Her voice rang hollow, and she trailed off. "Forget it. She didn't fail my sisters. I did. And let's face it...I can't bring them back. But I can still make things right."_

_It was then that Janga noticed how close Mheetu's face was to hers. He was regarding her somberly, and there was something fiery behind his green eyes now. "You can," he said softly. "You could rule the Pridelands when we take it back."_

"_I can't do that," she snapped. "My father is a usurper. The title doesn't rightfully belong to me."_

"_No, listen," he insisted. "Janga...my sister was betrothed to Simba, the one who was supposed to succeed Mufasa as king. There are no other successors in the royal family, so the __sovereignty should have been passed onto mine. And since I'm the oldest living male in the family, I would be king if we overthrow Scar. So, I was thinking, erm..."_

_And suddenly Janga realized what Mheetu was saying. She felt shocked, not because of the promise of power she was being offered that she had denied herself her entire life, but also because of what it meant. That the Pridelands would be able to have not one but two rightful rulers. That she would be able to keep her promise to Sarabi after all. And most of all... "You...want me to...to be your..."_

"_Yes," he said softly. "You'd make a great queen, I've always known that. But there's something else I know now too, and it's taken me so long to figure it out." He was blinking rapidly now, and his breathing became rather quick. For the first time, she thought he looked rather nervous. "Janga, would you...would you be my mate?"_

_It was as if the words opened up something in Janga's heart, something she had locked away a long time ago. The feeling it gave her was unfamiliar, but as soon as she heard him say it, she knew what it meant right away. And she wrapped her paws around him, feeling the warmth of his face against hers. It was a special kind of warmth, one that was made of more than any physical heat. "Yes, Mheetu. I will."_

_And it was then that she could see her future laid out before her for the first time. She would do more than just make things right when she returned to the Pridelands. She would learn to heal the terrible pain stabbing into her heart that awoke her every morning. She would learn to love again._

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·  
**"You mean..." Nala began, unable to complete the sentence.

"Yes, your brother fell in love with Janga," Ni said. "And I guess she returned his feelings."

"Did she?" she asked, a bit dubiously.

He regarded her with something like empathy and just a bit of amusement. "You think Janga is a heartless killer, Nala. Not that I blame you, she's killed off a good quarter of my pride. But she really did love Mheetu. And she wanted to save the Pridelands as much as you and Simba did."

"And something went wrong between them," Nala said quietly. "But what?"

"That I couldn't tell you," Ni said. "Mheetu didn't really have time to explain everything to me before the Keepers attacked my pride. And I'm sure there were some things he didn't really want to talk about."

The group stopped as they reached a broad, flowing river by the edge of the grassland. The ground here was sloped in towards the water, which was flawlessly clear and trickled gently over the large rocks embedded into the sides. The river wound in slight curves, sometimes obscured by the line of trees that grew along the edges of the water. Not far in the distance, Nala could see the ground rising up and the river bending sharply towards a mass of tall, jagged mountains from where it flowed from.

"That's the crater rim," Ni said, indicating the far-off mountain-like figures. "If we follow the river, we'll be able to get through it without having to climb. We're approaching the Keepers' territory though, so once we get going, we should move very quickly."

"The Keepers have left the crater," said a voice unexpectedly from across the river. "And you'd do best to stay away from here."

The lions stiffened as two cheetahs appeared from behind the trees opposite them; one male, one female. Keepers, no doubt. Nala bared her teeth and unsheathed her claws. The others did the same as well, ready to lunge across the river at the same time.

"Wait!" cried the female cheetah, noticing the hostility directed at them. "We're not with the Keepers."

"So who are you?" snarled Ni. It was the first time Nala had heard his voice take on a dangerous growl. "And how do you know about them?"

The male stepped forward tentatively, and Nala couldn't help but notice that his eyes were an unusual shade of light purple. "My name is Amethisto," he said nervously. "This is my mate, Huruma." Turning to Ni, he added, "I know who you are, Ni, and what my sister has done to your pride. But it's not safe for you here."

"Your sister...?" Ni said, faltering.

"Zamaradi is my sister," Amethisto said apologetically. "And Huruma and I have only learned recently of the Keepers' attack on your pride. We want nothing to do with it...we're only here to find our son Beba."

* * *

**[Author's Note]  
**And there's submission character #2, Maji. She's going to have the largest role out of the three submitted characters, so you're definitely going to see more of her in later chapters. If you have any questions about her, ask SunsetWanderer, since it's her character.

So, what do you all think of Mheetu's declaration of love for Janga? Is it sweet? Bizarre? Terrible, even? I want to know your thoughts! :)

* * *

**[Original Character Names]  
****Maji:** Water  
**Amethisto:** Amethyst  
**Huruma:** Compassion

**[Canon Character Names]  
****Kovu:** Scar  
**Kiara:** Clarity (Latin)


	5. The Shadow Consort

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·  
**What surprised Kivuli was that there had been no fight at all.

Leading a group of sixteen lions including herself, they had made a swift charge on Pride Rock and had caught all of the Pridelanders by surprise. At least, she thought it was all of them; there were only four of them, and they were all quite elderly. The rest of the Pridelanders were still at Mount Tempest, no doubt. And though they were quite startled, the four lions surrendered immediately without raising a paw.

Kivuli assigned a half dozen members of her followers to guard the Pridelanders, and then assigned the other eight to do patrols around the perimetre of Pride Rock. Then she held a quick private council with Sajin, the oldest member of Janga's pride, at Pride Rock's peak.

"I don't think this is all of them," Sajin said quietly.

"Their numbers seem consistent with the forces of Simba's pride at Mount Tempest," Kivuli said. "Though we don't have an exact number..."

"I can make out each of the prisoners' scents," he persisted. "And I can pick up one or two that don't match any of them."

Kivuli knew to trust Sajin's keen sense, and asked, "Can you catch their trail?"

"I can. But I think it'd be better to make a reconnaissance run before we make any attacks."

She nodded. "Take Kiza with you and keep a low profile. Report back to me if you see anything."

The older lion bowed his head in obedience. "What are you going to do, Kivuli?"

She turned her head back, looking away from the expansive view of the Pridelands and into the cave where the elder lionesses were being held. "I'm going to interrogate the prisoners."

···

Even all the way from the kopje, Sarafina could see Pride Rock protruding into the sky. The land stretching out before them was darkening, but the sun was setting behind Pride Rock, its rays etching the formation into a clear outline. And standing at the peak was the unmistakable silhouette of a lioness.

It was too far away for Sarafina to see clearly, but from what she little she could make out, she guessed that it was Kivuli. "We don't have much time before they find our trail and come looking for us," she murmured.

One of the other lionesses joined her side. It was Naanda, Sarabi's younger sister. "We should move elsewhere by the end of the night. Somewhere we can keep an eye on what they're doing to the others, if possible."

Sarafina sighed. She had been reluctant to abandon the four elder lionesses at Pride Rock, but followed through at the urging of Kuna, the eldest lioness in the pride. She had a choice between saving some of them or none at all. That didn't mean she liked it though. "Agreed. Once we're compromised, I don't see any point in running. We should try to free the others."

"The sooner the better," Naanda said grimly. "We should get going soon, though."

Sarafina turned away from the mouth of the cave, turning around to face the wall. Embedded here was the royal family tree, the names of every king and queen, and their children and consulates, etched in clear writing by Rafiki when King Ahadi had first asked him to stay in the Pridelands. After Scar had been defeated, the mandrill had scraped off the names belonging to Janga and her sisters before Simba saw it, and the carved-out spaces looked so natural that Sarafina wouldn't have noticed it if she didn't know what it was. "I don't know if I want to leave here," she said softly. She couldn't help but feel that being here meant she could protect not only the small group with her, but also the stature of the royal family itself.

"Sarafina, we have no choice," Naanda told her in a gentle tone. "It won't take long for Kivuli to follow our trail here, and if we're cornered, the time that the elders have given us would be for nothing. I don't think she'll want to destroy this place."

"I don't know about that," Sarafina murmured, her eyes now on Nala's name. "This kopje holds no attachment to her. After all, Mufasa had intended to betroth her to Simba before I came to the Pridelands with Nala and Mheetu."

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SCAR'S REIGN, MONTH 7 [3 YEARS AGO]·**  
_Janga found that she immediately took a liking to Zamaradi's nephew Beba as he grew up into a cub who was both energetic and mischievous. He was well-liked among the Keepers as well; very few members of their numbers were permitted to bear children due to Zamaradi's strict protocols to prevent anything from possibly holding them back. But even the stern cheetah leader was happy to have him around; like everyone else among the Keepers, she saw him as a reminder of what they were working towards and that when the Keepers had the opportunity to start their own families, that the Pridelands would be safe for them to do so._

_So Zamaradi in particular was rather dismayed when one day Topazi and Huruma told her that they were leaving the caldera to resume their nomadic lifestyle, now that Beba and all his siblings were old enough to travel. They gave the Keepers plenty of time to say their goodbyes, and Janga decided to take a walk with Beba before they had to go._

"_I'm going to miss you, Janga," he said, his usual playfulness absent in place of a rare seriousness._

"_Where are you and your parents going?" she asked as they walked along a river that twisted its way close to the heart of the caldera and led a route through the volcanic rim. She could see the spot where the mountain-like crater parted to allow the river past; it was one of the few paths that allowed for passage in and out of the caldera, and one that was always heavily guarded by Keepers._

"_I dunno," Beba said, shrugging. "My parents tell me they never plan where we're going. But they said they wanted to head towards the Pridelands and see how things are."_

_Janga looked around furtively, and placed her face closer to his. "Don't let Zamaradi hear that," she said quietly. "You know how she is, by her decree only the eagles are allowed to do patrols on the Pridelands."_

"_Yeah," he nodded. "My father might be her brother, but we're not really part of the Keepers. Besides, I always wanted to see what the Pridelands were like. My parents sometimes tell me about when they lived there before Scar took it over."_

_The idea intrigued her. She knew that she wasn't yet ready to confront Scar, nor was she expecting the dismal conditions in the Pridelands to have improved. Nonetheless, she was anxious to know how her mother was faring, and for a brief moment, she almost asked Beba if she could go with him. But she remembered that Zamaradi would never allow it, and knew that there would be nothing gained from going. Nonetheless, she said, somewhat reluctantly, "If your parents decide to come back to the crater, could you tell me what it's like there?"_

"_Sure," Beba replied. "But why—" He broke off as the sound of two voices arguing was heard from behind the trees on their side of the river. "That sounds like Mheetu..."_

"_And Kivuli," Janga sighed, well aware of her friend's unexplainable dislike for Mheetu. "Come on, we'd better go separate them."_

_The young lioness and the cheetah cub hurried up the river towards the sound of the voices. As they neared, Janga could make out what they were saying._

_"What do you mean, I'm too controlled by my emotions?" came Mheetu's angry voice. "My suggestion to Zamaradi concerning our attack was made out of empathy, not emotion!"_

"_I mean you're not being very logical," Kivuli snapped, equally angry. "By the leaders' plans, the pride will hardly have any survivors by the time we get there. If the hyenas think we're going to try and save them, we'll have the advantage and cut through their numbers."_

"_At what cost? Whether there will be one survivor or thirty, they're still part of our pride, and we cannot harm them!"_

"_You haven't seen the Pridelands in years! Even I haven't for a long time now, and if it's only getting worse from when we leave, then the survivors will be so sick they wouldn't be worth saving anyway—"_

"_What are you two doing?" demanded Janga, appearing from the trees with Beba and cutting between the two of them. Both Mheetu and Kivuli stopped talking immediately. She looked from one to the other, and both were glaring at each other. "Kivuli, with me."_

"_But—"_

"Now_." There was a sudden sternness to Janga's tone, and it would be the first but not the last time that Kivuli would hear it from her friend. Without a word, the two young lionesses darted away, leaving Beba with Mheetu._

"_There's something not right about her," Mheetu muttered. "Kivuli, I mean."_

"_I know," said Beba, staring after them. "There's something about the way she looks at me too. Kinda creepy."_

"_Listen, Beba," said Mheetu suddenly, turning to him. "If it's true that you're going to the Pridelands, don't say a word about us, okay? We can't have Scar know what we're doing out here."_

"_You got it," the cheetah cub reassured. "I don't think my parents are going to let me near the Pridelands anyway. I'd have to sneak off to play with their lion cubs."_

"_I doubt there are going to be that many," Mheetu said glumly. Just then, Janga reappeared, though Kivuli wasn't with her._

"_Hey, Mheetu," she said, now sounding much calmer. "Can I have a word with you?"_

"_Sure," Mheetu replied. "See you later, Beba."_

"_Bye, guys," Beba said, and scampered off._

_Janga waited until he was gone before turning her attention to her mate. "I'm sorry about Kivuli. You know how she is."_

"_Janga, I'm concerned about her," he said seriously. "If you don't get her under control, you'll have to get Zamaradi to do it. She's a vulture."_

"_Don't be like that," she snapped. "She's tells me you're emotional and self-serving, but I'm not going to listen to either of you insult each other. So don't act like a cub, okay?"_

_He rolled his eyes but nodded in agreement. "Has she agreed to stop coming after me?"_

"_She's not coming after you," Janga said exasperatedly. "She's just...anxious to overthrow Scar. As are all of us. Just...don't argue with her. We're supposed to be on the same side here."_

"_Will do," Mheetu said, although he was still clearly dubious about Kivuli._

_Janga rubbed her face against his. "Hey, you know I think you're right. But let's deal with the important things first before we sort out these kinds of petty disagreements."_

"_Sounds fair," he said, smiling. "Thanks, Janga."_

"_For what?"_

"_For understanding. And for having my back."_

"_Always," she said, with a hint of uncharacteristic affection to it._

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·**  
It was a quiet evening at Mount Tempest. Although there were only seven lions that accompanied Maji and her leopards back to the Pridelands, there was a strange feeling of inanition among the two prides. Everyone knew about the Keepers now, and apart from a select few number of lions that were part of Simba and Malka's war council, the others simply hung about the stronghold, with nothing to do but wander about and try not to seem nervous.

Siri, who was one of the members of the war council, sat alone at the edge of Mount Tempest's water pool, staring into her own reflection as she waited for the next meeting to begin. She sighed, feeling as if she was becoming more and more lost as each day passed. There was so little that any of them knew about these Keepers, aside from what Ni had told them. And even he hadn't much information to offer before he left with the others. _Maybe if they come back with Nala's brother, we'll have the advantage we need. But how long will that take?_

Not for the first time, Siri wondered what her pride had done to deserve being caught up in a war that had so little to do with them. She was as willing as Malka was to help the Pridelanders, but it unnerved her to know that Janga attacked the Tempest pride only to get them out of the way. Siri still remembered the day it had begun, with her returning home to find it taken over by enemy lions. The plans she had overheard had been vital to the safety of the two prides, so vital that Janga had sent a team of her killers to silence her. _I would have been dead, if it wasn't for Kopa, and—_

Siri flinched as if physically hurt, and her grip clenched the muddy grass beneath her paws. Why couldn't she get past this? Why was it that she every time she began to think that she was alright, the pain would creep up on her and stab itself into her heart like she was feeling it for the first time?

_Afua._

The reply whispered itself in her mind treacherously, even though she had already known the answer and didn't want to hear it. It was harder to come to terms with Tumaini's death because Afua couldn't do it. She tried her hardest, night and day, to keep telling herself that the one she had loved was gone from her life forever, and ease the pain a little at a time. But Afua hadn't been able to face the loss that she knew affected him as much as it did her. Because for all his talk of despising his brother, she knew that Afua had been deeply hurt to find him murdered like that.

_Maybe that's why I baited him,_ she thought miserably. _To make him admit it. Maybe even make him see that he doesn't have to hate Tumaini_. But whatever her intent, she knew that all she had managed to do was push him away. He had left with Kopa and the leopards yesterday without saying a word to her. She had watched him go, wanted to say _something_. But something in the way he had looked at her told her that he had wanted her to understand. And she hadn't.

"Siri?"

Siri was pulled out of her thoughts at the sound of the voice. It belonged to her friend Hamu, who approached and sat beside her next to the water pool. "Hi, Hamu," she said absently. "How have you been?"

"Good," Hamu replied, although she seemed distracted from the casual talk herself. "Kiara's team helped us on our hunt and the others are bringing in the catch. Are you going to join us?"

"I have to be in Malka's quarters for the next meeting soon," Siri said apologetically.

"Malka's going to wait until everyone's eaten first," Hamu pointed out. When Siri didn't reply, she asked, "Siri, do you love Afua?"

The question caught Siri off-guard. She and Hamu had both been too busy with their respective tasks lately to have had much time talking, and she hadn't expected her friend to notice what was going on with her at all. But then again, Hamu's perceptive nature had always been what marked her as an ideal hunting leader. "I don't know," she admitted honestly. "He's great, but...there's just so much going on and I can't figure everything out right now."

"It didn't take you that long to figure out you were in love with Tumaini," Hamu pointed out astutely. "We had a lot going on then as well."

Siri couldn't help but give a small laugh. "Okay, I give up. I should've known nothing would get past you. Hamu, I'm...afraid."

"Of what?"

"That I really do love Afua. It feels like I'm betraying Tumaini. I mean, they're brothers..."

"If I remember correctly, Tumaini's focus had been to return you to Shira Hollow," Hamu said thoughtfully. "He made sure you were safe and then let you go."

"But he wasn't in love with me then," Siri protested.

"Yes, he was. You might be surprised, but sometimes it doesn't take long for someone to fall in love. Like Afua, for example. He would do anything for your approval, but he feels unhappy now that he thinks you're going to hold his brother over his head."

"I know," Siri muttered glumly. "I feel like I drove him away."

"Don't worry about it. He needs some time to think, and so do you."

Siri blinked. "Think? About what?"

"About whether you really do love him," Hamu said solemnly. "And if the answer is yes, you have to decide if you'll let yourself."

···

After a long day of making their way up a mountain and through several narrow, connected valleys, Maji called for a short rest when they reached a tributary flowing between the stony slopes. The small group of lions walked a little ways off for a drink of water, and the more numerous black leopards sat next to the water. Kopa thought that they looked like some sort of shadowy night spirits from the way their black fur stood out against the white and grey of the mountains.

"How much further are we going?" he asked.

Maji fixed her wary golden eyes on him. "We've covered very little distance because we had to climb the mountain first."

"How much distance?"

"I can't say exactly."

"Are we going to follow the tributary?" asked Vitani, who appeared beside Kopa. Maji's gaze shifted to her.

"Yes," she said. "This tributary stems from the peak of the mountain range. It branches off in many directions, including one that leads to a lake connecting to the river flowing out of the Keepers' caldera. This tributary, however, flows into the Zuberi River and will lead us to the Pridelands." Having said that, Maji turned around and walked off to join a group of her leopards sitting by the tributary.

"That was very specific," Kopa muttered, staring after her. "She didn't sound like she wanted to be helpful with me."

"She's not so bad," Vitani said. "I talked to her a bit on our way up the mountain."

"You did?"

"Yeah," she said grinning. "I think you were too busy trying not to slip and fall to notice."

Kopa rolled his eyes. "So I'm not used to climbing mountains. What, are you going to add that to the list of things you're better than me at?"

She laughed. "Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud," she said, nuzzling him fondly.

"I don't like heights," he grumbled, but nuzzled her back.

Their conversation was interrupted as Boga ran over. "Come quick, Afua's found someone next to the water," she said frantically. "He wants you there right away!"

"Found someone?" Kopa repeated. He followed Boga, along with Vitani. They sprinted down the tributary past the leopards, their paws splashing in the shallow water.

It wasn't a long run. Not far down the tributary, Afua was crouched next to a limp figure sprawled on the rocky valley floor, and gathered around them were the other lions accompanying them. Babu, Madoa, and Alama moved out of the way as they approached. Maji and some of her leopards were also coming over, having noticed the commotion. "He's still alive," Babu said to them in a hushed voice.

Kopa's eyes were frozen on the unconscious cheetah before him. "Afua...is that...?"

Afua looked up, his eyes a mixture of relief and worry. "Yeah. We've found Beba."

* * *

**[Author's Note]  
**Well, there's not one, but two plot twists for you. Sarafina's revelation should begin to explain on Kivuli's dislike for Mheetu's family and her general cunning, ambitious nature. And now Beba has finally resurfaced in the present-day arc. What's going to happen next? Wait and see! :)

* * *

**[Original Character Names]  
Sajin:** Sergeant  
**Kiza:** Darkness  
**Kuna:** There is  
**Hamu:** Eager

**[Canon Character Names]  
Naanda:** Begin  
**Ahadi:** Promise  
**Boga:** Pumpkin  
**Babu:** Grandfather  
**Madoa:** Spots  
**Alama:** Marks


	6. The Beginnings of Doubt

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·**  
"Beba is your son?" Nala said in disbelief.

"Yes," replied Huruma anxiously. "Do you know where he is? Is he alright?"

By some unknown instinct, Nala knew that these cheetahs meant them no harm. "He was friends with one of my pride's cubs," she said, with a little more sympathy than she usually would have extended to a stranger. "But I haven't seen him for years."

"We were once Pridelanders, but we've never returned ever since Scar became king," said Huruma. "Zamaradi warned us and we were cautious, so the closest we dared venture was along the canyon. We stayed there for a while...but sometimes Beba would run off and wouldn't tell us where he had been."

"Wait," Amethisto interjected, his purple eyes widening as he took a closer look at Nala. "You're Nala, right?"

"That's right," said Nala, surprised. "How do you know me?"

"The Keepers are all looking for your brother Mheetu. He escaped the crater yesterday, and—"

"He did?" Ni interrupted.

"Do you know which way he's going?" Nala asked urgently, although she could already guess the answer.

"Back to the Pridelands," Amethisto told her, confirming her suspicions. "The Keepers are on the move, and he's trying to beat them there...to warn you about them."

"We'll bring you to him, Nala," said Huruma desperately. "But please, you have to help us find our son. He was Mheetu's friend, and when he disappeared in the crater, no one knew where he went."

Nala closed her eyes, fighting to keep her mounting frustration at bay. Now that she was so close to reaching Mheetu, she was reluctant to allow anything to divert her. But if it was true that he was no longer in the crater, then she knew that she would be hard-pressed to find him without the help of Amethisto and Huruma. And besides, if Beba really was in trouble, she couldn't just do nothing about it.

"I know you find it hard to trust us," Amethisto said, with a pleading tone entering his voice. "But believe me, Nala, I would have done something years ago if I knew that Kivuli had nearly killed you—"

"What?" Nala said, surprised.

"You don't...remember?" he asked hesitantly. She shook her head, frowning.

Tojo, who was facing away from the river and watching the trees silently, snapped his head around. "We've got trouble," he hissed. "I'd recognize that scent anywhere. Wilddogs."

"It's a patrol of Keepers," said Huruma nervously. "We should leave now."

"No point," said Tojo. "They're speeding up. Heading this way."

"How many?" Ni asked grimly.

"Twenty, at least," Tojo replied.

It was far too many for them to take on, and the silence in the group echoed the thought. Wordlessly, Ni turned to face the trees.

"Right," he said with an utter calmness. "If we can't run, then we're going to fight. We need information, and maybe these Keepers have it. Nala, go with the cheetahs and find your brother. We'll stop the wilddogs here."

"Ni, are you sure?" Nala asked uncertainly.

"I've had enough of them persecuting my pride," he answered. There was no fear or anger in his voice, only firm determination. He looked to the other lions. "If any of you want to leave, you're free to. But decide quickly, please."

In response, Tama, Tojo, Leo, and Sabini unsheathed their claws and shifted into ready stances. None of them left his side. Ni gave them a nod of approval, and the five lions took their positions beside the river. "Good luck, Nala," murmured Sabini.

Nala hated the idea of running out on her friends like this. But for once, the vitality of their search for Mheetu took precedence over her concern for his well-being. She hoped that the value of her brother's knowledge to the impending battle would be worth the lives that she was about to give up. Something in her heart told her that this time, she would have to leave them behind.

But she said none of this aloud, and without a word or even a single backwards glance, dashed off with Amethisto and Huruma. She was afraid that if she looked too closely at the courage that her friends were displaying, she would be tempted to join them in their last stand. And although every part of her mind was screaming at her not to abandon the others, she knew already that the two prides would soon share their fates if she didn't bring Mheetu to Mount Tempest.

Ni stood rigidly in the centre of the formation as he heard Nala's footfalls fade away. The others remained in equal stillness, waiting for the enemy to meet them. Tama spoke, so quietly that Ni almost didn't catch it. "Tojo, if I die here, I hope that you don't as well. Mateka will need one of us to return to her."

"We'll see," Tojo murmured. "But I hope it'll be you that survives."

For a moment, Ni felt a stab of regret. Between all of them, two had a daughter to live for, and one of the two wasn't even part of his pride. And yet she had stayed to join him in what would almost definitely be their last fight.

And then there was no more time to think as a wilddog burst through the trees. Before any of the lions could move, he was joined by five, eight, twelve more. Ni banished his guilty thoughts and leaped out of the way as a black blur flew past him. Once they began drawing blood, Nala's scent would be effectively covered. His eyes moved to and fro, looking for a target as the wilddogs' numbers rapidly doubled.

Ni's attention was instantly drawn to a single lioness who appeared in the centre of the wilddog formation. He knew who it was. It was an individual that had often plagued him ever since his pride was forced apart and hunted down ruthlessly. And without thinking, he lunged at her.

Janga leaped at the same time to meet his attack, and the two of them collided as the wilddogs moved to swarm the other lions. The air was quickly filled by the sound of growls, roars, paws splashing in water, and claws and fangs slashing into flesh. Chaos engulfed the riverside.

_You're mine,_ Ni thought with an unaccustomed savageness. _For the lives of my pride and to stop you from reaching anyone else I care about. I'm not running this time. I'm going to kill you, Janga, or die trying._

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SCAR'S REIGN, MONTH 9 [3 YEARS AGO]·**  
"_How much longer are we going to wait?" Mheetu cried aggravatedly._

_Janga understood his frustration perfectly, but she was surprised nonetheless by the outburst. It wasn't like him to vent on anyone, least of all someone who was cast out of the Pridelands just like he was. "Until we're ready," she told him patiently. "You said it yourself the other day, if we make the attack too soon, we'll just lose more lives than necessary. We have to keep waiting."_

"_Janga is right, young Mheetu," said Almasi, who was regarding Mheetu with his sightless orb-like eyes. "We're all working at our quickest to rally supporters and train for the attack, but Zamaradi knows not to send us into something we are not ready for."_

"_I know, but—doesn't she at least need someone to see if Amethisto's family is safe? I can go if—"_

"_Mheetu, your heart is in the right place, but your mind is not," said Shohamu sternly. "Our eagles are sufficient to travel to the Pridelands without putting themselves in danger. Zamaradi would not allow her brother or his family to put themselves in peril, something you are well aware of."_

_Mheetu's defiant demeanour held itself for a moment longer before he relented. He bowed his head with a sigh. "I know. I'm sorry, I just..."_

"_No need to explain," Shohamu said, his tone softening. "You are concerned for your own family, we can all see that. But if you are reckless with your own safety, you will only bring them grievance. Mheetu, we must bide our time."_

"_Don't let this distress you," said Almasi. "If your mother and sister are as resourceful as you are, Mheetu, then they won't come to harm."_

Not necessarily, _Janga thought. But she knew that the old wolf was only being reassuring. _And what else could he have said? That even if Mheetu's family is as good as dead, we can't do anything for them anyway?

_Mheetu nodded wordlessly, but Janga could tell that he wasn't exactly comforted by the words. Almasi had noticed too, for he said, "Mheetu, I haven't journeyed to the peak of the crater in a while. I would like it if you accompanied me. Come."_

"_Okay," mumbled Mheetu. He gave Janga a brief, tight smile. He padded away after the blind wolf, and the two of them headed off towards the volcanic rim in the distance. Shohamu stared after the young lion, his expression somewhat sympathetic, before he turned around and walked off as well. Janga was left standing next to the kopje, wishing that she could somehow do something about Mheetu's troubles._

"_That's the third time in the same moon cycle," came a voice from behind her._

_Janga turned around and saw Kivuli appearing from the other side of the kopje. "How much did you hear?" she asked heavily._

"_I heard enough."_

"_And no one noticed you?"_

_Kivuli shrugged. "I think Almasi and Shohamu both knew I was there, but they didn't say anything." She fixed her gaze on Janga, her expression serious. "I have a feeling he's about to do something stupid."_

"_You always get that feeling," Janga said, half-exasperatedly._

"_I'm not kidding, Janga. A few nights ago I overheard him talking to Bane. They were considering sneaking out of the crater."_

"_Bane?" Janga repeated in disbelief. "They don't even like each other."_

"_Well, Bane said he could get Mheetu around the guards without being noticed. But Shohamu somehow knew what was going on and kept a close guard on Bane. He confessed but didn't say anything about Mheetu."_

"_So Bane must want something from him."_

"_Or Mheetu's not as trustworthy as you think," said Kivuli pointedly._

_Janga felt a spasm of irritation. "I'm getting tired of this," she snapped. "When are you two going to stop treating each other like this? I don't even know why you do it."_

"_Ask him yourself about Bane if you'd like. He's honest enough with you."_

_Janga glared at her friend. "So why didn't you tell Shohamu about their plan, if you knew about it?"_

"_Because if I did, you would have said I was just trying to make Mheetu look bad. Besides, there aren't a lot of things that Shohamu doesn't notice, so there was no need for me to say anything. Either way, you should be more careful. If your _mate _is like this now, there's no telling what he might do if he rules the Pridelands. And by then you might not be able to talk him out of things."_

_The last remark stung, more than it should have. Janga knew that Kivuli disapproved of her relationship to Mheetu, and the biting edge to her tone said as much. She wanted to say something, to state that Kivuli was wrong and that she just didn't believe in Mheetu. But for the first time, she couldn't think of anything._

_Because what bothered her more than the mild hostility in what Kivuli said was something that frightened Janga. Mheetu was indeed proving to be more reckless than he had let on. And Janga knew, in the back of her mind, that as far as becoming king one day, Kivuli was right in what she said. Regardless of his intentions, there was no telling what kind of things could happen once his responsibilities became greater._

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·**  
Kopa jerked awake at the sound of someone shifting beside him. He opened his eyes to see that Beba, who had been carefully laid down next to him, was stirring. Kopa got up immediately, and shook Vitani to wake up as well. "Hey, he's coming around..."

She got to her paws as well and walked over so she was standing next to Beba. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking. He looked from Kopa to Vitani, but there was no recognition in his expression. "Um...hi." His voice was rather disoriented.

"Hey, Beba," said Kopa softly. "It's alright, you're not in danger."

"You know me?" Beba asked, confused. "Are you Pridelanders?"

"Yes," said Kopa. "I haven't seen you in ages though. You might not remember me...I'm Kopa."

"Kopa?" The young cheetah's eyes widened. "Kopa, you're alive! I thought..."

"I know. What happened to you, Beba?"

He grimaced. "It's a long story."

"We have a lot to tell too," came Afua's voice. Kopa twitched in surprise; he hadn't heard his friend approach, so focused was he on Beba. "But first of all, how are you doing?"

"Afua!" Beba exclaimed, sitting up. "Leaping leopards, what are you doing here?" He winced at having moved so suddenly, and Kopa guessed that he had several broken bones. "Where is here, anyway?"

"We're in the mountains leading to the Pridelands," Afua told him.

"And Afua was the one who found you," Vitani added.

"By complete accident, really," said Afua, laughing modestly.

Beba grinned. "Guess I owe you one, then. Why are you heading out of the Pridelands by the mountains?"

"We're going back, actually," said Kopa. "Most of the pride isn't there, but the ones that are there are in trouble. We're going to help."

Beba's smile faded. "I'm guessing that's what the leopards are here for?" he asked, looking around at them. Kopa and Afua nodded. The cheetah lowered his voice. "They're not with the Keepers, are they?"

"No," said Kopa. "How did you know about the Keepers?"

"Zamaradi, the Keepers' leader, is my father's older sister," said Beba. "And I've got bad news."

Just then, Maji and some of her leopards were joining the group. "Does this news involve the Keepers?" she asked, regarding him coolly.

He nodded. "Yeah. They're making their way this way and are planning to attack a place called Mount Tempest. Once they do that, they're heading to the Pridelands."

Kopa and Vitani exchanged glances. "So it's true then," he said quietly. "Who told them to make the attack?"

Beba looked down. "A lioness named Janga," he murmured. "...my friend Janga."

"What..." Afua stuttered. "You're friends with Janga?"

"I don't know why she's doing this," Beba said sadly. "The Keepers all say it's because Mheetu betrayed her, but...he's my friend too, and I know he's not like that."

"Mheetu?" Kopa repeated, surprised. "Beba, do you have news about him?"

"Only that he's on the run. I helped him escape the Keepers, or I tried before I ended up here. There's a lot more to it than that, but I have to know what's going on too. Where _is_ Simba and the pride, if not in the Pridelands?"

"At Mount Tempest, getting ready to face the Keepers' attack," said Maji, turning away. "But we're very short on time, cheetah. We need to reach the Pridelands and help the others. We can talk later."

"Hold up, he can't move just yet," Afua protested. Maji looked back at him.

"Then he should wait here for us to return," she said indifferently.

"What?" said Kopa indignantly.

"He will be in no danger here," she said in the same flat tone. "But nonetheless, I will assign two of my leopards to protect him."

"Three," said Afua.

"I can't leave more than two if we intend to succeed in rescuing the Pridelanders," Maji replied adamantly. "But if you're so concerned about your friend's safety, you're free to stay behind yourself." And without another word, she led her leopards away from the group and began making their way onwards through the mountain path.

"It's okay, guys," said Beba reassuringly. "I'll be fine, as long as you can find your way back."

"We can ask Rafiki to take a look at him when we come back," Vitani pointed out. Kopa nodded, remembering how effective the mandrill was at using his herbs and medicines to treat just about any type of injury.

"Hold on, Beba," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. "We have a lot to catch up on, and if you have more information, we'll need your help when we head back to Mount Tempest."

Beba nodded, wincing as he shifted himself back into a prone position. "Good luck, guys. And Kopa..."

Kopa, who was walking away with the other lions, turned around. "What is it?"

"I've missed you. Make sure you come back, okay?"

"I will."

"Hurry up," barked Maji from the front of the group. "The Pridelands aren't far from here, and we've already dawdled enough with talking."

"Leopards," Afua muttered, but only loud enough so that Kopa heard him. The lions reluctantly left Beba's side, and hurried to keep up with the rest of the group as they continued their trek through the mountains.


	7. Friends For Life

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·  
**It was nearing midnight by the time that Nala finally stopped running. Behind her, Amethisto and Huruma slowed as well and halted with her. The three of them just stood where they were, none of them able to speak as they panted heavily.

Nala had no idea how long they had been running; everything seemed like a blur after they had left the river behind. There was no telling how far they had gone, or which way it was back to Mount Tempest. And worst of all, she didn't know what to do now.

"We have to keep going," gasped Amethisto, though his paws were shaking with exhaustion. Nala realized that the cheetahs must have come a long way from the crater, and had little time for rest when she met them at the river. "The wilddogs could be coming after us right now."

No, her sense of aimlessness wasn't the worst thing that had happened.

Out of nowhere, Nala fell to the ground, and with it the last of her resolve shattered then and there. She buried her face into her paws and broke out into tears, feeling not only completely hopeless, but more ashamed than she had ever been in her entire life. _How could I have run out on them like this?_ Her friends, who had unhesitatingly put her life before theirs, so that she could find her brother. Ni, who had saved her life once again, could not possibly outfight a score of wilddogs with only a fraction of lions accompanying him.

She felt a paw on her shoulder, but she didn't move. "Nala, I'm sorry," said Amethisto softly. "But please, we can't stop now."

"You go," she cried. "I can't...I don't want to..."

"Come on, Nala, get up," urged Huruma, though there was no iron in her voice. "Your brother is counting on you."

"I'm never going to find him," she sobbed piteously. "He's going to die like the others. I can't save him either."

"Of course you're going to find him," said Amethisto in a soothing tone. "We know which way he's going, and that he's not alone. Neither are you. Come on, we'll help you."

Nala sniffed and looked up at him, although she didn't know what she really could do in their situation. _I can't just go back to Mount Tempest like this. But how in the world am I going to find Mheetu like this?_

"He wants so badly to see you and Sarafina," he reminded her. "Don't give up on him now."

_I can't give up on Ni and the others either,_ she realized. Slowly, she got back to her paws, letting out a shuddering gasp as she wiped away the last of her tears. The painful knowledge that she had abandoned her friends was still there, but she would put it aside for now. There would be time for grief when the time came. For now, she had to do everything she could to make sure they hadn't died for nothing.

"Maybe we should take a rest for now," said Huruma slowly. "Amethisto, could you keep Nala company? I'll go hunt some food for us."

Her mate nodded. "Alright."

As the female cheetah dashed away, Amethisto fixed his gaze on Nala. "Don't worry, Nala. Huruma and I are very familiar with this territory. I can't be certain, but I know of a few likely routes that Mheetu would take from here to Mount Tempest. We'll find him soon."

"I hope we'll find your son too," Nala murmured. "I hope he's not in trouble with the Keepers or anything."

"He's not around here, that's for sure," he told her. "Beba has the sharpest senses out of all my children. He wouldn't hang around if there were wilddogs this close. We've never gone to Mount Tempest before, but chances are he's already there."

Nala felt somewhat reassured by this. Although she had just met Amethisto, there was something about the way he spoke that bore certainty as well as trust. "How many other children do you have, Amethisto?"

"Five," he said. "Although we've had to leave them with my mother's coalition when we set out to find Beba. It's safer for them that way though."

"Your mother? Does she...what does she think of your sister?"

He sighed heavily. "She asked me to try and persuade Zamaradi to stop with this and come home. My mother doesn't know much about your pride, but she doesn't want us to be fighting a war against you. I don't know if my sister will listen to me though. And my mother is far too old to journey out here herself."

"Are the Keepers...very conflicted?" Nala asked.

Amethisto laughed humourlessly. "Actually, they've never been so united as when they were convinced that your brother was a traitor. It's not like them to turn against one of their own like that. They're not even the bad type, really."

"Not even Janga, from what Ni told me," she muttered.

"He's right. All of the Keepers' leaders, my sister included, trust Janga greatly. I don't think she even means to deceive them. Her friend Kivuli, though..."

"She's very unusual...I remember Kivuli as a cub. Reserved, but very loyal to Janga. Still is, I suppose."

"She was meant to be betrothed to Simba, you know," Amethisto said, suddenly remembering. "That's why she tried to kill you after you ran away from the Pridelands."

"She was?" Nala frowned. "I don't recall encountering Kivuli. I remember leaving the Pridelands, but..." she trailed off, recalling something. "...I woke up one day next to the jungle where I found Simba. I never figured out how I ended up there."

The purple in Amethisto's eyes darkened. "I think I might know."

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SCAR'S REIGN, MONTH 11 [3 YEARS AGO]·  
**Sometimes being disregarded has its advantages_, Kivuli thought as she sprinted through the grasslands in near-silence. She was never one of the Keepers' most popular or charismatic members, but she hardly cared enough to try and change that. Janga trusted her, and the other Keepers knew that she was credible, and that was enough for her purposes._

_As she raced across the land like a shadowy wraith through the night, her sharp silver-grey eyes scanned her surroundings without missing a detail despite the immense darkness around her. It was not the first time she had snuck out of the crater, and she had never been caught once, since Janga had become used to her wandering off to spend the night alone away from the others; everyone would just assume Kivuli was elsewhere in the crater. The land here was very familiar to her by now, but nonetheless she remained alert for possible signs of danger._

_She was now very close to the escarpment upon which the elevated ground of the Pridelands were rested upon. She was still nowhere close to the Pridelands themselves, however, or even the gorge at the edge of its borders. But all the way out here, the grassy land was showing signs of thinning out. The malefic effects of Scar's kingship were still spreading further with time, it seemed._

_Kivuli halted as she reached the pitiful stream that was once the mighty Zuberi River, and the remains of the waterfall that still sent rivulets of water trickling down into the oasis below. Beyond it was the mountain range led to Mount Kilimanjaro atop the escarpment, and in the far distance was Mount Tempest at the rocky plateau where the Serengeti plains began. She could catch no scent of hyenas, but there was certainly something—no, someone close by._

_She stiffened, sniffing the air cautiously. It was a lion's scent, and a familiar one at that. Had she been followed? And whose scent was it? She couldn't quite make it out, but definitely one of the Keepers'..._

_Kivuli spun around at the sound of grass rustling behind her. Walking towards her was a tawny-furred lioness in a slow, heavy trek. The newcomer's tired teal-blue eyes suddenly sharpened in focus, clearly not having seen Kivuli in the dark. Then she drew in a sharp breath._

"_Wait," she whispered in shock. "I know you."_

_Kivuli stared her down almost indifferently. "And I know you...Nala."_

_Then her claws unsheathed, and she pounced._

_···_

_Mheetu was surprised that he had managed to follow Kivuli all the way out into the grasslands without being noticed by either the Keepers or Kivuli herself. _I've never followed someone like this before, _he thought. He certainly didn't expect himself to be so good at it, that was for sure._

_He wasn't usually one to sneak off like this, and had actually not left the crater ever since the Keepers had found him. But tonight he had noticed Kivuli edging towards the caldera's volcanic rim a bit more purposefully than usual, and he decided to see what she was up to. He quickly adapted a method of slinking after her without rustling the grass, something he quickly found he was quite good at, and then running to close the distance whenever she didn't notice. It was a flawed method, and one he had expected for her to notice right away, but so far he had managed to remain undetected._

_She had led him through a route out of the crater away from the Keepers' patrols, and after several hours, headed out on a long run across the plains. It wasn't until they entered the grasslands that he realized that Kivuli intended to reach the Pridelands._

_From what he observed, she seemed too familiar with her route not to have taken it before. And now that the night was almost over and the sun was now rising, he could recognize some of the land in the area. He had run off from Pride Rock many times in his cubhood in Simba's company, often with Nala finding him and bringing him back home to be berated by Sarafina. _What's Kivuli doing here? _he thought, somewhat nervously._

_There she was, standing by the nearly dried-up remains of the Zuberi River. And there, emerging out of the darkness—who was that? It was too far away for Mheetu to tell, but she looked familiar..._

_He gave a start when he realized who he was looking at. It was none other than his own sister, Nala. The first thing that entered his mind was relief; she was alive, and even fairly healthy, from the looks of it. She had certainly grown into a strong-looking lioness—but then he felt an unexplainable uneasiness take hold of him. What was she doing out here, so far from the Pridelands? But before Mheetu could call out to her, his heart froze over at what he saw next._

_Kivuli had turned around when she saw Nala. And then she pounced at her. The two lionesses clashed and rolled out of sight, into the grass._

"_Nala!" cried Mheetu, breaking into a run. He had fallen quite a ways behind Kivuli and had a lot of ground to cover, but he didn't care. All thought was erased from his mind as he dashed to aid his sister._

_···_

_Kivuli caught Nala off guard with a hard sweep across her front paws, causing her to lose her balance. She followed up with a hefty blow to the side of the face. The tawny lioness went flying and landed in a heap on the ground._

_Nala, clearly exhausted after what looked like a long run out of the Pridelands, struggled to get to her paws. She managed to stand just as Kivuli reached her, and somehow ducked the rapid swipe that Kivuli aimed at her head. Nala bared her teeth and lunged, clamping her jaws around the silver-furred lioness' foreleg._

_Kivuli flinched but didn't let up, using her other paw to catch Nala in the throat to weaken her. She then dislodged her by swinging her injured foreleg outward, and Nala rolled away across the ground. She came to a stop just short of the cliff edge, shaking her head rather disorientedly._

_It was enough time for Kivuli to reach her. She saw Nala look up at her, dazed and confused. "Who are you?" she whispered. "I...know you..."_

_Kivuli almost smiled. She hadn't expected to run into Nala, here, so far from anyone that could find her. Now it would be easy to make sure no one knew what became of her. "Who am I? I was going to be queen...Simba's queen..." Now she couldn't hold back a grin. "But don't worry, I'm taking back the title that belongs to me. And you can join Simba..." Without hesitation, Kivuli placed both paws on Nala's flank, and with a hard shove, sent her falling off the side of the waterfall and towards the oasis below. She didn't hear so much as a scream as the tawny lioness' limp form disappeared into the trees._

"_NO!"_

_Kivuli turned in surprise and saw Mheetu, his claws unsheathed and tearing up the grass as he barrelled towards her. His face held a rage that she had never seen on him before. She realized that she had made the mistake of assuming that his scent was in fact Nala's. The two were so similar that she hadn't even considered that Mheetu had been following her the whole time. And she decided right there that she had to kill him too. _He'll tell everyone. And they'll believe him. Especially Janga.

_She met his attack head-on, and the two lions rolled away from the cliff edge in a flurry of claws and teeth. She got to her paws first, making a second charge on him without pause. But he leaped away, causing her to slam into the ground. He leaped onto her back and began viciously slashing at her with every bit of force he had._

_And then Mheetu was pushed back as a feathery blur swooped into his face. Surprised, he stumbled back and fell onto his side. Kivuli stood up, momentarily ignoring the wounds on her back. She snarled at him and was about to attack when she noticed who was in between them._

_Akiki was hovering in front of Mheetu's face, flapping her wings to keep him at bay. Then a half dozen eagles swooped in, circling around the two lions. Neither of them moved._

"_What do you two think you're doing?" she shouted furiously. "Do you realize how close you are to the Pridelands? There are hyena patrols here that could have killed you! Not that neither of you seem to mind, since you both look like you're trying to do that yourselves!"_

"_Akiki, I..." Mheetu began, but the crimson-eyed eagle cut him off._

"_My patrol and I had to come down from the cloud cover when we heard the commotion," she screeched at him. "If Scar catches wind of this, then you'll have compromised us! And if that's the case, I'm tempted to fly off right now and leave you two to get yourselves out of this mess! How do you expect us to plan our attack if he learns that we're spying on him?"_

"_I'm sorry, Akiki," said Kivuli solemnly. "I saw Mheetu running out of the crater last night and I tried to bring him back. I finally caught up to him here, but then he tried to kill me."_

"_What?" roared Mheetu._

"_He said it was a mistake to follow him, and that no one would ever know what happened to me. If you didn't show up, I would have been dead."_

_Akiki fixed her piercing gaze on him. "Is this true, Mheetu?"_

"_No!" he protested, turning furiously at Kivuli. "You liar! _I _followed _you _out here! I just witnessed you murder my sister!"_

"_You're the liar," Kivuli growled. "I wouldn't lay a paw on your sister, she saved Janga's life in the Pridelands. But I don't think she knows how low you would stoop to become king once we overthrow Scar..."_

"_You...!" Mheetu made to pounce at her again, but Akiki blocked him._

"_That's enough," she said sharply. "Both of you, you're coming back with me to the crater. And then you can explain to Zamaradi why you left the caldera and fought like a pair of hyenas. Move!" She took to the sky, with her eagles behind her, and they flew over the escarpment and back towards the plains. Mheetu, seething with rage, bared his teeth at Kivuli before limping after them. She returned the look with a smirk._

They'll never believe you, Mheetu.

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·  
**Although he hadn't been in the Pridelands for years, Kopa recognized Rafiki's tree as soon as he saw it in the distance. Just the sight of the familiar baobab brought on a wave of old memories; he quickly recalled that he spent a lot of time there, either on the occasions to seek out the old mandrill's counsel, or on the more frequent times when he would bring Afua and his other friends to play there until they annoyed the shaman enough to poke his head out from the leaves and shout hoarsely at them.

He must have been smiling, because Afua looked at him and said, "Hey, remember when we sneaked over here and listened to Rafiki sing that stupid song about squashed bananas?"

Boga grinned. "And then we learned all the words and ran around the tree singing them at the top of our lungs."

"Rafiki actually came down and chased us with his stick," said Babu, laughing. "And then we'd steal the stick and run back to Pride Rock with it!"

Kopa had volunteered for the four of them to go ahead and stake out the area, since they were the most familiar with it. Vitani, Madoa, and Alama were waiting with Maji and the cheetahs not far off, hiding among a cluster of boulders near the Zuberi River not far off. They fell silent as they approached the baobab, and without another word, started looking around for Rafiki.

"Any sign of that monkey?" Afua whispered, peering up into the thick leaves above them.

"I dunno, but we'd better make this quick," Babu muttered. "We're caught in the open here, guys."

Kopa was keeping an eye on their surroundings for signs of trouble. His gaze stopped when he spotted Pride Rock in the distance. "I see some of Kivuli's lions gathered around Pride Rock. They haven't seen us yet, but stay in the tree's shadow. You don't want to be—"

"Look out!" shouted Afua, nimbly dodging to the side.

Kopa turned around and saw numerous grey forms leaping down from the baobab's branches. The four of them were immediately surrounded. "Hyenas," Boga snarled.

Kopa's mind was racing. _How did they get here? Where's Rafiki?_ He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Did the hyenas kill the mandrill? Were they with Kivuli?

There was no time to think. The hyenas instantaneously leaped into action, pouncing at the four young lions with a deadly swiftness. Kopa ducked the first one, and back-pawed a second one across the face. He moved backwards so that he was standing facing outwards with Afua, Babu, and Boga.

Afua had a hyena pinned down, but was knocked away by another. Babu leaped through the air, landing in front of his friend to protect him. Another hyena tried to flank them, but Boga smacked him away with a hard paw. The air was suddenly filled with roars, and in a flash, the hyenas were caught between Kopa and his friends, and a group of lions and cheetahs led by Vitani and Maji.

Now outnumbered, the hyenas were trying to escape. "Run!" shouted a young female hyena, who looked like she had been heading the ambush.

_Not if I can help it,_ Kopa thought. He moved fast, reaching the leader and grabbing her by the throat. He threw her hard to the ground and pinned her down, ready to kill her in front of her hyenas.

"Asante!" yelled one of the hyenas, leaping forward. Vitani pounced on him and pinned him down as well.

The others suddenly noticed that Kopa had frozen. He was staring down at the hyena before him in silence. A spark of recognition entered his eyes as he studied her features. "Asante...is it you?"

"What's wrong, Kopa?" asked Vitani. A moment later, Asante's defiant expression melted away into shock.

"Kopa?" she gasped. "I don't believe it, you're...you're alive!"

Kopa hastily moved aside and helped his cubhood friend get up. Everyone else—lions, cheetahs, hyenas—was watching them in confusion, but neither of them cared. "I never thought I'd see you again!" he exclaimed. "I thought—after what happened with Fisi—"

"I left, Kopa," Asante said, with a touch of guilt. "I didn't think your father would've wanted me in his kingdom anymore. But when we heard that Pride Rock was taken over, I had to come back."

"I'm glad you did," he said brightly. "What were you all doing in Rafiki's tree?"

"Guarding him from Kivuli and her lot, what else?" she said in amusement. "We thought you were sent by her or something, that's why we attacked you." She looked around. "Are your friends alright?"

"Oh, us?" said Afua. "Yeah, you guys couldn't even touch us. I think we left a few marks on your hyenas though."

"Very funny," Asante said with a laugh. "So where did you all come from?"

"Mount Tempest," said Kopa.

"Mount Tempest, huh?" she said thoughtfully. "I've heard of that place. Is this all of you?"

He nodded. "We would have brought more, but everyone else is preparing for an attack from the Keepers Beyond the Pridelands—"

"What?" yelped Asante. "The Keepers are coming here?"

"You know about the Keepers?" Kopa asked, surprised.

"I think everyone knows about the Keepers at this point," Afua muttered. "Why am I not surprised?"

"This is bad," said Asante seriously. "Why are they coming here? Where's Mheetu?"

"Hold on, you know Mheetu?" Kopa interrupted. His friend stared at him for a long time.

"I think we'd better get back up that tree," she said finally. "We have a lot to talk about, and I think Rafiki will want to know what's going on."

···

A sickly stillness hung over the riverside, mingled with the scent of blood and adrenaline. The silence was as thick as the fog blanketing the morning air. Sprawled all around the river bank were bodies, ripped, broken, and bloodied. Many of them belonged to the black-and-silver forms of wilddogs, numbering eleven in total. Some were so badly mutilated that a few of them lay in several pieces and were barely recognizable.

At the centre of the mass lay five lions, just as bloodied as their deceased foes but much less mangled. All of them lay completely still, however, without so much as a twitch from their blood-splattered claws.

Mheetu was standing over the still forms, head bowed. The three other lions with him were standing off to the side in equal silence.

"It was recent," he murmured softly. "If we had been half a day faster—maybe we could have saved them."

His eyes found Tojo and Tama, who, from the looks of it, had crawled together in their dying moments to lay beside each other. Their paws were clasped. "There must have been more than twice the number of the wilddogs. They never stood a chance." He let out a bitter laugh. "Tojo only told me once about his mate Tama, and what a fierce fighter she was. Guess he was right, it looks like she took down four of Bane's wilddogs on her own. At least he got to see her again..."

Mega's eyes were closed. "There wasn't anything we could have done, Mheetu. If you were killed here with them, then Janga will have won."

Mheetu's head snapped up, and his grief-stricken eyes were filled with anguish. "All I seem to be able to do is put others into danger, Mega! I can't understand much about Janga anymore, but maybe she's right to hate me. I'm no good to her." He pounded the ground with one paw. "Don't you hate me, Mega? Your daughter's lying dead right there, and it's all because of me!"

Mega's expression was stoic as he returned Mheetu's gaze, although a single tear fell from the old lion's face. "She died bravely, Mheetu. For now, that's enough for me until we stop Janga."

Both lions looked down as one of the lions shifted. Mheetu gasped, and immediately crouched down in front of him. "Ni, you're alive! Come on, say something!"

Ni painfully lifted his head, giving Mheetu a bloody smile. "Mheetu...glad you're alright..."

"I'm so sorry about everything, Ni," Mheetu said woefully. "I wish this never happened to your pride. I should've just run away..."

"Don't...be ridiculous..." Ni mumbled. "...had to...protect...right thing to do..." His eyes moved to Mega, who was still standing off to the side. "Mega...old friend...'m sorry...'bout Sabini...would've asked her...run but...stubborn..."

Mega managed to smile even though his eyes were still full of tears. "Keep her safe when you join the Great Kings in the heavens, Ni."

Ni sighed weakly. "Sorry...left you behind...kings...don't run..."

"You did what was right," Mega said.

"...hope so...Mheetu...I warned...two prides...Nala's looking for you..."

"She is?" Mheetu asked, surprised.

"Yeah...not far from here...better go...'fore Janga and Bane...find her..."

He felt a spasm of dread at hearing these words. _Janga and Bane are after Nala?_ Suddenly, every instinct was urging him to run, to get to his sister before Janga did. But he couldn't leave Ni like this.

"You came to the Pridelands once, didn't you," Mheetu asked gently. Ni turned his head slowly to him.

"Nala told me about how you saved her life from hyenas," Mheetu continued. "My mother also told me what happened, but she wouldn't let me go with her because I was just a cub. She introduced you to us though, while Scar was out brooding in that creepy cave of his away from Pride Rock. Do you remember that?"

Slowly, Ni nodded.

"And then, when you were going to leave, Nala said to you, 'I can remember when it looked very different here. There used to be so many wildebeests and zebras and gazelles, you couldn't even count them.' And you said, 'Maybe someday you'll help to change it back to the way it was.' And I guess she did..."

As the last of Ni's life slowly ebbed away, Mheetu sat beside him, speaking gently to him. Mega and the others stood where they were, watching and listening to his words. After a while, Ni's eyes slowly closed, but Mheetu could still hear him breathing softly, and continued his story until the dying lion to whom he owed so much drifted away to take his place among the stars.

* * *

**[Author's Note]  
**Quite an emotional chapter ending, I must say. I thought it'd be a nice little tie-in to have Mheetu be present for the events of _Nala's Dare_, even if he wasn't mentioned in the story. I thought I'd also make a footnote of why Scar didn't object to Ni staying with the Pridelanders for a day, since it wouldn't be so unusual for Scar to spend his time alone and away from the pride. Also, yes, Nala was attacked by Kivuli before she ended up in the oasis and lost her memory of the encounter. It could explain why she was so immediately savage against Simba if she was so confused and instinctive to attack another lion (the other reason being that she was just hungry for warthog, hehe). And now you can see that Kivuli is a lot more cunning and ambitious than she let on in the last four stories, now that I'm shedding light on her backstory more. Will she inevitably turn Janga against Mheetu? Only time will tell...

I've also introduced the character of Asante, Kopa's hyena friend who some of you may remember. You might notice that the chapter is named for the story in which she appears, _Friends For Life_. Although I must say that the events of its sequel, _Fight For the Throne_, seem unlikely, so although that story does tell what the hyena Fisi had done, I'd rather not mention the specifics and leave it at that. On a final note, don't confuse the hyena Asante with the fictional lion character Asante, or his creator whose pen name is also Asante (since I know for a fact that many of you who read my stories also read Asante's, I thought I'd make that clear).

* * *

**[Canon Character Names]  
Asante:** Thank You**  
Fisi:** Hyena**  
**


	8. Shani

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·**  
Shani observed the groups of lions patrolling around Mount Tempest from the spot in the grass where she had popped out of the dirt. Considering the urgency of the situation, she really wasn't supposed to be dawdling like this, but she knew that a wrong move now would mean death. She had yet to see a familiar face among the lions, and knew that as soon as she made her presence known to them, they would see her as prey.

_Now where is Simba?_ the young meerkat wondered, remaining completely still as she watched another patrol pass around the plateau. If there was a key to carrying out her plan without the risk of getting eaten, it would be to find him first. _But what if he's not even here? Who else can I trust to hear me out, and then come with me back to—_

Shani froze as she heard the grass rustle behind her. She spun around and suddenly there was a dark-furred lion towering over her and staring her down. _Well, this one knows how to sneak up on someone,_ she thought. Her eyes moved ever so slightly to the hole next to the lion's back paw, and prepared to make a break for it. If she was fast enough, she would be gone before he knew where she was going...

"What are you watching them for?" the lion asked.

"What?" said Shani, caught off guard. She was expecting him to try and kill her, not make small talk. Still, she didn't rule out the possibility of getting skewered just yet, and glanced at the hole again.

"I can see you looking at that hole you dug," he said. "By the way, I'm not going to eat you. Unless you're with the Keepers, but I somehow doubt that you are."

Shani briefly wondered who "the Keepers" were, but at the moment decided to prioritize survival before asking questions. "Why aren't you going to eat me?" she asked, trying to sound as if she was merely curious and not utterly terrified.

The lion shrugged. "I guess I'm not feeling hungry right now. And more importantly, I'm guessing that you're one of Simba's meerkat friends, which is why you're probably so close to two prides of lions at all."

"Simba is here then?" she asked urgently. "Please, you have to take me to him now! I need to tell him something!"

"Kovu?" came a second voice from not far off. "Who are you talking to?" The grass parted as a lioness with light gold fur joined them. Shani had never seen her before, but she could immediately see that the newcomer had a startling resemblance to Simba.

The lioness looked down and noticed Shani. "Oh...hi."

The meerkat exhaled, relieved that these two didn't seem interested in seeing her as prey. The male named Kovu said, "This is one of your father's friends, Kiara. She says she wants to talk to him—"

"_Needs_ to talk to him," Shani corrected.

"—needs to talk to him," he rectified. He looked at her closely. "Let me guess, you're from that colony Timon told us about?"

_So he's had the misfortune to meet that thick-head, huh?_ Shani thought in spite of herself. Out loud, she said, "Yes. And the colony needs help, pronto."

"I thought so." Kovu turned so that he was next to her, and lowered himself to the ground. "I think I might know what the problem is. Get on."

···

Simba was surprised to see Shani when Kovu and Kiara brought her into his quarters. But he looked happy nonetheless and was very welcoming. Still, she noticed how flustered he seemed even though he made his best effort to make casual conversation.

"You look tired, Simba," Shani remarked, staring up at him closely.

He shook his head. "There's a lot going on here, Shani," he told her. "We've got big trouble coming our way, and everyone you see here is getting ready to face it head-on. I've been in three council meetings today, and I think I've got another one before sunset. But enough about me, how have you been? How's the colony?"

"We've been fine, but that could change soon," she said grimly. "Say, would that trouble be something along the lines of an armada of animals heading this way?"

"Oh, no," said Simba softly. "Don't tell me..."

"I'll take that as a yes. We've spotted them moving along the escarpment from the direction of the eastern plains. They're definitely coming towards this mountain, but first..."

"They'll reach the oasis," the king murmured, already realizing what it meant. "This is bad."

"They're travelling very slowly," Shani added. "If they weren't using the escarpment for cover, we would have detected them days ago. But as it is, they'll be there in five. Everyone, even old Max, can hear the tremors by now."

Simba's paws were clenched. "The colony has to leave, and soon. But they'll never make it out of the oasis without being noticed. Not with the forces that the Keepers have at their disposal."

"Then we'll help them," said Kovu firmly. "Kiara and I can lead a team there and escort them safely out."

"We can't bring them here," Kiara pointed out. "They'll just be back in danger once the Keepers come here."

"Take them to the Pridelands, then," Simba said. "If Kopa hasn't taken Pride Rock back yet, he could use your help. And the colony could use the extra guard since Maji's leap is there too."

Kovu nodded. "We'll try to make it back here before the Keepers do. Good luck, Simba."

"Be careful," Shani called to Simba before she was rushed out of the chamber on Kovu's back.

Simba watched as Kiara disappeared around the corner with them, and he sighed. It seemed that with every passing day, everyone he cared about only fell into more danger because of the Keepers. Just like when Maji had brought news about Kivuli's invasion, he wished that he could do something more to help the others. But he knew that time was running out for the two prides, and if he didn't help come up with a proper plan for the final battle, then everyone was doomed.

_Stay safe. All of you._

···

**·YEAR 1 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 1 [3 YEARS AGO]·**  
_Mheetu knew that his influence over the Keepers had been damaged after the incident with Kivuli. Even Janga, who was very angry when she heard what had happened, wasn't sure who to believe. When she had told him as much, he had stormed off and refused to talk to her._

_He hadn't let it go at that, of course. After a few days, he managed to convince Topazi and Akiki to accompany him back to the escarpment and explored the place where Nala had been flung into the trees. They had wanted to believe him, and along with some of their followers, searched the oasis tediously but without complaint. But after a whole day went by without a single trace of her, Mheetu was at a loss. He realized that Nala must have survived the fall, but where she was, he didn't know. When he tried to tell this to Topazi and Akiki, however, their patience was already thinning. They were forced to return to the caldera with nothing to show for it._

"_What are you trying to prove?" Janga demanded when he got back. He ignored her, padding away without a single glance backwards._

_She persisted, however, and walked after him. "Look, Mheetu, I don't know if you're trying to turn me against Kivuli, but if you are, stop it. I realize you two don't get along, but I expected her to accept you when we became mates. That means you should make an effort too. Instead, you're just putting me in a difficult position every time you two fight, which is embarrassing for me too when the others see—"_

"_Oh, so this is about you now," he snapped at her, unable to stay silent._

"_This is about all of us!" she said angrily. "You were both pretty stupid to sneak off like that, you know."_

"_I know, I know, you would've all been compromised," he said shortly. "I already got an earful about it from Akiki, then Zamaradi, and even your friend Jeraha. I don't need to hear it from you too."_

"_You think that's all I care about? What if one of you was killed by hyenas? Or both of you? You made a promise to me, Mheetu, but you're being very careless with that promise. Not only that, but if you're going to be king one day, you have to learn to be responsible."_

"_Kivuli tried to kill my sister," he snarled. "I don't care if none of you believe me, but she's going to pay for that one day. There's no way she's going to be in my pride, because she's a danger to everyone. That's something I'll be responsible for, I hope you realize that." Having said that, he turned away and sprinted off with anger racing through his heart._

_Janga watched him go, wondering if he had heard her at all. She couldn't believe that in a matter of days, he had become so distant from the Keepers. Whatever had happened between him and Kivuli, something had definitely gone wrong._

Maybe I'll have a word with her too, _Janga thought, heading off to find her friend._

···

**·YEAR 1 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 8 [3 YEARS AGO]·**  
_Mheetu couldn't believe how wary the others had become of him over the attack on Kivuli. He was, of course, well aware that to harm another member of the Keepers was absolutely intolerable by Zamaradi's law, but the fact that no one really believed him about Nala was shocking. In addition, Kivuli had completely escaped punishment for her attempt to kill his sister, while he was left to answer for something he hadn't even done._

I guess I've underestimated how much the Keepers trust her, _he thought bitterly. He had made the mistake of assuming that Kivuli's withdrawn nature meant that very few of the Keepers cared about her or even noticed her. But he was beginning to realize just how reliable the leaders found her. When tasked with something, she did not disappoint; whether it was leading attack teams, setting up ambushes, using her persuasive side to recruit numerous animals into the Keepers, or any other task she was assigned. He had never seen her do any of it in person because he didn't care to accompany her unless absolutely necessary, but over time he heard more and more of the others talking about her efficient disposition._

_It didn't help that his rivalry with her only strengthened with time, something that everyone was well aware of. Although he did his best to avoid her, he quickly found that she had a knack for putting him in the wrong place at the wrong time. And after their fight in the outskirts of the Pridelands, she had little trouble provoking him and then making him look like the wrongdoer._

_To Janga's credit, she did try to take Mheetu's side whenever she could. There was more than one occasion where she had to argue against one of the Keepers' leaders or another to stand up for him. But it was clear that their trust in him was waning, and as the months passed, he could tell that she was beginning to doubt him as well._

_The only one among the leaders that he could still be honest with was Shohamu. Before Mheetu had met him, he had never believed in such thing as a wild dog with more wisdom than savageness. But now he was thankful for Shohamu's patience and sympathy, and spent a lot of time talking with him._

"_There is a change present in the air, young Mheetu," he remarked one day as they walked along the edge of the volcanic rim._

"_You're telling me," Mheetu muttered. "I can't get anyone to listen to me anymore, because Kivuli's a better liar than I am."_

"_You don't need to lie to get what you want," Shohamu said calmly. "But that wasn't the change I was talking about."_

_Mheetu decided to ask, since he knew that the old wild dog never said anything for no reason. "What do you mean then, Shohamu?"_

"_I hear the reports from Akiki, although she hasn't ventured to the Pridelands in a very long time after she found you and Kivuli near the oasis. The number of hyenas that the attack teams find are also steadily decreasing. Something has happened in the Pridelands, I'm sure of it. Perhaps for the better."_

"_Maybe someone overthrew Scar before we did," said Mheetu indifferently. "If that's the case, maybe I won't be king after all. Which is just as well, seeing as so many of the others doubt me now."_

_Shohamu shook his head. "Mheetu, you must learn to stop thinking the worst. Your sister is alive when you thought her dead, isn't she? Your mate is still by your side even though it's difficult for her sometimes. And no one has said they fear for the future should you become king. You musn't think that you have to act alone to make a difference. Sometimes it helps to put faith in others and trust that they'll do their part."_

"_Wait, you believe me when I said Kivuli tried to kill my sister?" asked Mheetu, blinking._

"_I do. Who do you think persuaded Topazi and Akiki to accompany you back to the oasis?"_

"_So why didn't you do something about Kivuli?"_

"_I had every intention to, if you did bring Nala's body back here. She would have tried to talk herself out of it, I know, but she would not expect me to challenge her, which I certainly would have done. But when you didn't find your sister, I knew she was alive, even if no one else did. And I know that nothing I say or do could convince Zamaradi of the truth."_

"_But—"_

"_Look at it this way, Mheetu. When Akiki found you, you had Kivuli pinned down and were trying to kill her. There was no sign of your sister, and no one could say who had followed whom. But I think I might know what became of Nala, if this change I talked about means what I think it means. Believe me, Mheetu, there has been no harm done. And I'm keeping a careful watch on Kivuli, even if she doesn't know it. You should just focus on keeping yourself out of getting into further trouble."_

_Hearing this, Mheetu realized that the Keepers might not have given up on him like he thought they had. And he felt more hopeful at the thought that not everyone was oblivious to Kivuli's schemes after all. He was about to say something, to thank Shohamu for his words, when he caught a scent he was well familiar with. "Hyenas," he whispered, stiffening._

"_They've climbed the volcanic rim," Shohamu said quietly. "We should go. There's a patrol not far off, and they can help us drive the hyenas off."_

"_You go," said Mheetu. "I'll walk along the rim, lead them away from here."_

"_Mheetu, you shouldn't put yourself in danger..."_

"_I'll be fine. There are a lot of them though, so you need more time. I can outrun them if I have to. Go!"_

_The old wild dog hesitated for a brief moment, but nodded and ran off quickly. Mheetu continued walking in the opposite direction, mindful of the scents he was picking up. _Five, no, eight, no, ten... _He fought down a tremor of fear and kept walking, feeling their eyes on him from the side of the rim. Of course they would pick him, he was much larger than a wild dog and would provide more food for them. He started to break into a run..._

"_Wait, Keeper!"_

_Mheetu was surprised at the sound of an urgent voice calling to him. It belonged to one of the hyenas, and before he could quicken his pace even more, he found himself surrounded by the group of hyenas that leaped down around him. He unsheathed his claws and was about to attack, when he noticed one thing that made him pause._

_Every one of the hyenas was young, most of them adolescents. One or two of them were even cubs. None of them looked at him with the hungry ferocity that he had come to associate with their kind, and some of them even looked...well, _cute_. He hesitated, not knowing what to do now._

"_We don't want to hurt you," said the hyena that had called to him. She was a young female who was just entering adolescence, and he guessed that she was the leader. She was looking right into his eyes, and he saw more sincerity than he had seen from the Keepers. Slowly, he retracted his claws._

"_We know who you are," the young hyena said. "We came to warn you—there are a lot of hyenas—hundreds, travelling together. They've spotted this place and they want to take it for themselves. They're going to kill you and all of your friends if you don't keep them contained outside the volcano."_

"_What?" said Mheetu, not expecting to hear this. "Where did they come from?"_

"_The Pridelands," she said. "They were banished not long ago and have been roaming around aimlessly ever since. But when we spent a few nights with their group, we heard that they planned to settle down inside the crater."_

This isn't good, _Mheetu thought, his mind racing. Although the Keepers also had their numbers in the hundreds, he knew that a pitched battle now would bring down a lot of their forces and set back their planned assault on the Pridelands by a long time. He wondered if Scar had found them at last, and sent the hyenas here; there was no way so many of them would allow themselves to be banished. He decided not to ask, however; he didn't know how much he could trust this pack of adolescents. "I can't just take your word for this, kid," he said. "I'll have to see these hyenas for myself before I tell anyone. This could just be a trick for all you're telling me."_

_She nodded. "That's fair. Come with us, you'll be able to see them from the top of the volcano. But hurry!" She turned back to face the mountain-like volcanic rim as her friends began to climb._

"_One last thing," Mheetu interrupted. "Who are you? And why are you helping me? I mean, I'm a lion..."_

_The young hyena fell silent. She slowly turned back to face him, and this time there was something wistful in her eyes._

"_My name is Asante," she said quietly. "And I'm helping a lion because a long time ago, there was a lion cub who was very kind to me. He's dead now, but I thought it would be the right thing to do to keep helping lions."_

···

**·YEAR 4 OF SIMBA'S REIGN, MONTH 2 [PRESENT DAY]·**  
Although neither Kovu or Kiara knew which way it was to the oasis, Shani was proving to be a good guide. Their team consisted of seven lions including them, all of them fast runners who were good at navigating dense terrain. As Shani had warned them that the oasis was tricky terrain as fighting ground, it was imperative that none of the team members would be at a disadvantage if things got nasty in the jungle.

Siri was one of the first picked, since both Kovu and Kiara recalled how agile she was when they had explored an unfamiliar swamp several days ago. Before Kopa left, he had also told them that she had a strong will for endurance and could outlast almost anyone in a fight or a chase. And Siri had instantly taken a liking to Shani, so it was decided that she would be on the team.

The group of lions had made a rapid dash through the edge of the plains, following the border that would lead them to the river connecting to the oasis. After a long hard run, everyone slowed down to regain their stamina and get ready for another sprint. They would be of no help if they showed up exhausted at the oasis.

Siri noticed that Kovu was up ahead, busy conveying information with Shani, who was perched on his shoulders. She decided to take advantage of the opportunity to approach Kiara, who was just behind him. "Hey, Kiara...can I talk to you about something?" she asked, making sure no one else could hear them.

Kiara glanced over curiously, and slowed her pace so that they were walking side by side. "Sure thing," she replied quietly. "What is it?"

"It's about Afua," Siri mumbled. "I really don't know what to do about him. I...think I love him."

Kiara smiled. "That's great, Siri...so what's wrong?"

Siri looked down. "I was in love with his brother. I might still be, actually. It's driving me mad..."

"Oh," said Kiara, her smile vanishing. She wasn't sure what else to say.

"How did you do it, Kiara? I mean, your father didn't even want Kovu in the pride at first. But you still knew that you loved him."

"Well, that's different. I only had to convince my father that Kovu was the right one for me. But you have it harder than I do. You have to convince yourself."

Siri sighed. "I know. But I just don't know what to do. I don't want Afua to think I'm using him."

"He knows you're not like that. But before you tell him anything, you have to figure it out yourself. If you love him because of his brother, then it's better to let him go than to hurt him."

The two lionesses looked ahead as they heard Shani laughing. The young meerkat was talking with Kovu, and it seemed the two of them had a lot to say.

"He sure makes friends fast," remarked Siri.

"Kovu's like that," said Kiara, smiling. "He'll seem a bit detached or even grouchy when you meet him, but he's very likable once you get to know him."

"...so then I jump over the hill," Kovu was saying. "And I find myself pouncing on none other than Timon. He freaked out immediately and was begging me not to eat him."

Shani roared with laughter. "Timon's quite a character, alright. I can't count on all my colony's fingers the number of times he nearly got himself killed. I really don't know how he gets himself out of trouble all the time...or how his poor mother hasn't died from worry yet."

"Best not to tell her what's going on at Pride Rock then," said Kovu with a grin. "I wouldn't be surprised if he got himself into another tough spot."

"Agreed," said Shani. "She doesn't even know about half the situations he gets himself into. Even if he got himself cornered by a bunch of murderous lions or something, he'll probably find a way to get out of it."

···

"I can't believe we got cornered by a bunch of murderous lions!" Timon yelled. "How are we going to get out of this?"

"I told you not to go sneaking off for grubs!" Pumbaa shouted.

Timon looked over at his friend, annoyed. "You told me _you_ wanted to sneak out for grubs, Pumbaa."

"Oh, right. Well...I was hungry!"

"Yeah? Well, I think these lions are more hungry than we are, pal!"

The duo pressed themselves back against the rock face as a half dozen lions closed in on them. Earlier, Timon and Pumbaa had given Sarafina's group the slip and headed to a nearby hill, digging for grubs and thinking that the hills would hide them from view sufficiently. Unfortunately, they had been found by one of Kivuli's patrols and a chase quickly ensued. The enemy lions were then joined by more lions, and before Timon knew it, he and Pumbaa had been herded to the bottom of Pride Rock, where they were now trapped.

They were going to die at Pride Rock, to be eaten by lions. Now this was ironic.

The other lions had noticed the commotion and were leaping down from atop Pride Rock as well and joining the group. Most of their eyes were on Pumbaa, but a couple of them were watching Timon closely to make sure he wouldn't scurry between them and make a break for it. Not that he could see any possible ways to escape without leaving his friend behind.

_Time to try a last resort,_ Timon thought. He pointed in a random direction and yelled as loudly as he could. "Hey, look!"

Every head turned to see what was going on. And then to his surprise, the enemy lions all turned and began dashing off one by one in that direction.

_Huh?_ thought Timon, poking his head around the corner of Pride Rock's supporting column. And to his amazement, he saw Afua and four other lions sprinting away from Pride Rock as fast as they could. And with them were the three lionesses that had been captured by Kivuli.

There was still no sign of Kivuli, but her lions were hot on their tails. Timon realized that he and Pumbaa had unwittingly provided a diversion for the rescue but he was now wondering how Afua's group was going to make it away.

"Timon, look!" said Pumbaa. The meerkat watched, dumbfounded, as Sarafina's group appeared from the nearby trees with a team of black leopards, set in formation to effectively block off Kivuli's pride. A fight broke out between the two sides, and Afua's retreating team was quickly forgotten.

Timon flinched as two large shadows fell over him. He screamed when he saw two lions staring them down, but then realized that it was Vitani and a male. "Oh, it's you. Thank goodness!"

There was no time for small talk, however. "Well, come on, you two," Vitani said impatiently. "Don't just stand there, we need to get out of here!"

"No arguments here," said Timon, hopping onto Pumbaa's back. As they dashed off away from Pride Rock, he added, "Where are we going, by the way?"

"Zulu Falls," she said shortly. "Afua's meeting us there. You two will be going up the mountains with the elders. Then we're going back to help Sarafina."

"Got it," said Timon. He looked over the young male more closely. He had definitely seen that brown tuft before. "Say, you look familiar, kid. Have we met before?"

"Nice to see you too," he said, though his eyes were still fixed up ahead. "We're kinda in the middle of something, if you hadn't noticed. Once we get out of this, I promise we can sit down, have some grubs, and talk about things."

"Grubs?" repeated Timon. Then it clicked. "Kopa, old buddy! It's great to see you! I don't believe it, you're all grown up now!"

"Uh, Timon, we're not supposed to talk about Kopa, remember," muttered Pumbaa, struggling to keep up with the two lions on either side of him. "Simba and Nala get really upset whenever you bring it up, and Kiara's not supposed to know about him."

Kopa rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but grin. "You two haven't changed a bit," he said fondly.

* * *

**[Author's Note]  
**And there you go, user character #3 is Shani, submitted by Bookworm Gal. Her introduction to this story was a bit later than the other two, but I intend to make her role interesting nonetheless. I don't think any of you have seen her in BG's stories, since she has currently only written one Lion King fanfiction, where Shani has not appeared. But BG is planning a sequel, so maybe you will. In the meantime, I'm going to do my best with Shani and hope I capture her character as accurately as I can :)

* * *

**[Original Character Names]  
Shani:** Adventure/Curiosity**  
**

**[Canon Character Names]  
****Max:** Greatest (Latin)


End file.
